


LET US MEET IN THE SPRING.

by bledstars



Series: rooted in you [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, F/M, High School AU, Immortal loves a mortal, Princess AU, Reincarnation AU, Sakura is the best girl, Slice of Life at the end LOL, Soulmate AU, childhood friends to lovers trope, lost memories regained, soulmates always find each other., time to cry babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:03:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23915755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bledstars/pseuds/bledstars
Summary: They were destined to be together.  But some universes were too cruel.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Shisui
Series: rooted in you [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2056959
Comments: 62
Kudos: 126





	1. NATSU | SUMMER

He rested under a tree, head tilted up, his dark eyes looking at the full moon above him. The summer nights were far more kind, with it’s cool breeze. He could hear the running water of the small stream that flowed through the castle grounds. The sounds of crickets and frogs croaking in the back. The quiet moments of the night were where he found the most peace. His days of guarding the royal family, in particular the youngest princess was something he took great pride in.

He rose in his ranks quickly, being quicker, faster, cleverer than any of his peers. Yet, there was one thing that made the genius stumble. The youngest princess herself, what with her green eyes full of cleverness that even caught him off guard. A sharp eye and an even sharper tongue, it was no wonder she was her father’s favorite. 

But there was a mischievousness in the girl that brought a smirk to the guard’s lips. He had caught her reading a few books that wouldn’t have been very ladylike to read, books on war, books on self defense, books on plants for healing. She had grown weary of the books on manners, on courtship, on being a wife to a future lord. She knew her life would only lead to quiet life, but she was not a quiet one. 

He would escort her through the town when she wanted a new book, one that seemed appropriate, until she snuck one from the local shop keep that was just as fond of the young princess. The people’s princess, the one that adored her subjects with all her heart. Even though he had continuously told her to be more careful. She simply looked up with a shake of her head. If she was afraid of her people, then they were not hers. 

He saw how she’d use her allowance to buy a few things, trinkets, but most went back to the people. Using it to buy bags of rice and dropping them, pretending to be absentminded in front of hungry orphans before turning around and giving them a wink and a nod. Telling them it was okay to take them. How she’d quickly pay for an elderly couple’s new blanket for the coming winter secretly only for the elders to turn around to see the princess walk away with nothing in her hands and one less bag of coins. 

She was always so selfless and that worried the soldier turned guard. It worried him that someone would take advantage of her. But that thought was quickly pushed away with another memory. The princess was not a fool, the princess was not a damsel. 

An unexpected chuckle when he recalled how she had been caught reading in the library again, sleeping on top of another book on things that society told her were for the eyes of men only.How pink hair unpinned from it’s updo, how it flared out so innocently, covering her face as she took a nap in a public place. Very unladylike like, her lady in waiting will have a fit, but then again when isn’t Miss Ino having a fit. But she saw the blonde woman’s blue eyes always fail her, how she may reprimand the princess for not keeping up with her manners, but there was a fondness, a love in her eyes that was special. No one in the young princess’ entourage could ever truly stay upset at her.

“What are we reading this time, hmm?” there was a playful smile on his lips as he moved her pink hair away from some of the texts. _Oh_? Poisons? If the king knew what sort of knowledge that his daughter was taking in late at night, he would have a fit and Shisui would get an earful. While the king was fond of him, he would not like the idea that his youngest’s personal guard allowed her to indulge in such books. 

“Mmmnn...”Sometimes he forgot how cute she was. They had grown up together in a way, his father being part of the king’s guard for so long, and him entering as soon as he was old enough. He recalled how small she was when she was just a child. How she would constantly jump on his back and demand for him to carry her around. She had grown to be a lady, someone who had to always put a mask of calm and serenity. But he knew better than anyone that she was a spitfire under all the pretty kimonos and rouge. 

“You’re drooling.” He said with almost a laugh. He was trained to be more professional than this but something about her brought out the child in him, a desire to tease her and playfully poke fun at the princess. Her head snapping up quickly she quickly began slapping and trying to wipe the drool he claimed was there before glaring up at him. “I guess you got it?” 

Oh, how her cheeks turned red, she looked ready to punch him and she did try, but he quickly got it with a small smirk on his lips. She kept trying, feigning anger and annoyance as he quickly dodged each of her small punches while laughing the entire time. Huffing, both hand on her hips, she looked like a child throwing a tantrum and it was absolutely adorable. 

Opening his eyes, he slowly raised his hand up, he could see the moon between his middle and ring finger, he could see the way the moonlight highlighted his hand. With a soft and warm aura that only the summers granted him. How small her hand was, small but strong. He could still feel the pressure of her tiny fist against his palm as he stopped the last of her punches.She huffed before releasing her fist and quickly lacing her fingers with his. The way she took charge and pulled him out the library, catching him completely off guard as he held her hand and was pulled to who knows where. 

He should have been worried about what others would think, he should have been more concerned to where the young princess was taking him. But all he could think about was how easily her hands fit into his. How soft it was compared to his that were rough from training with the sword and battle. How hers felt perfect in his. 

Shaking his head, he quickly smacked his head. He could not have improper thoughts of the princess. Who was he to have such desires for someone whose status was so clearly above him. It could only end up in heartbreak. She would not, could not, should not, look at him like that. He could not keep dreaming when the dreams were so foolish. He had been the princess’ guard for too many years, maybe he should request a break. But the thought of leaving the pink haired princess’ side brought an uneasiness in his chest. He was her best confidant in so many ways, how could he dare leave her now?

“Shisui-San.” A hushed voice as he heard the crunch of the fields below him. Hand snapping up, he looked around to find the familiar voice. Holding her kimono with one hand, she walked to look around the gardens behind where she slept. The lanterns that she stood under showed the concern in her eyes, her brows furrowed as she looked around and continued to walk. She shouldn’t be up so late, he thought with a frown. Was she nervous in meeting the dignitaries tomorrow? It was another marriage request, and while there were many suitors for the pink haired princess’ hand, the king wanted to make sure it was someone that Sakura also approved of. There were many talks from the advisors that they should marry off the young princess quickly, and while the clan that they were speaking to tomorrow was was an ally, it still made him worry. At least, she would be marrying into a family where her husband was not years older or younger than her. He was her age, and she would be able to live a peaceful life as a wife. But maybe that was what was bothering her, she did not wish to live a quiet life like that, she was never one to have that.

She had confided in him how she longed for adventure, how she longed to see past the castle grounds, how she wanted to help her people most. And if she married into a family outside of her home, she could not. She had so many dreams, so much ambition, but too little power. And he doubted that he would be able to follow her to her new household as his guard. He would be reinstated, maybe become a soldier again. He probably would never get to see the princess again. And while the thought broke his heart, he had to bear through it. He was her guard, nothing more. He had to protect her That was his duty. And despite the thoughts that lingered in his mind, despite the part of his heart that knew belonged solely to her. She could never be his. She was to be a lady, basking in the warmth of the sunlight. To be the wife of a solder that made home in the shadows, well that would be impossible. He could only keep her in his thoughts, to dream of her hands in his again, to treasure the memories they had. That was his future. 

The kimono looked terribly heavy and she was already wobbling through the grass, huffing and continuing to call out his name. And oh how sweet did his name sound when she said it. Whether it be in a huff of annoyance or anger. Maybe in the bashful way she’d say it when he brought some extra sweets from the confectionary. Or perhaps the soft and sweet way she’d say it when she turned to greet him with a bright smile on her pink lips. Yes, he loved the way his name sounded when she said Enough with that, the princess was going to fall into the stream if he didn’t help her. That was his conclusion as he quietly and swiftly got behind her. “Sakura-Hime.” He said in a low voice. “What are you doing up?” 

A surprised yelp as she quickly turned around, the heavy dress and the sudden turn quickly making her lose balance. Black eyes widening, he quickly grabbed her waist to catch her in his arms, but her legs swung at his and he began falling. Quickly moving and holding her tight, he moved so he’d fall into the grass with her on top of him. “Oof!” he groaned as they fell. 

Her long pink hair was wild and messy as she fell on top of him. “Shisui...” Her voice was breathless and he felt his eyes widen and the next inhale catch in the back of his throat as she looked down at him with those green eyes.

And maybe he did hurt his head, maybe he was already dead and this was just the last moments of his life, but to see the princess on top of him, the moon behind her, she looked ethereal. He blinked a few times as her mouth continued to move, eyes widening with worry as she called out to him. He could make out a few words, such as his name, a concerned question of if he was hurt, how adorably she was reprimanding herself. And maybe his hurt head made him a little foolish, but he quickly lifted his upper body, and moved his head so he could kiss her pink lips softly. 

The quiet gasp, and he was sure she’d punch him in the chest, be angry at him. Demand for him to beg for her forgiveness as he took something so precious from future husband. But instead, he saw her eyes flutter and close as she stayed still and kissed him back. His hand wrapping around the small of her back to pull in closer, to steady her as he sat up completely and kept his lips on top of hers. 

It was better than the dreams he had. The sort of dreams that made him avert his gaze from her until she demanded for him to look at her properly. Without knowing the thoughts he had of her when he was alone the previous evening. It was sweeter than he thought she’d taste. But knowing his princess, she snuck in a sweet after dinner. He lost himself in the taste of her, in feeling her under his hands. But then the smart part of him snapped him out of his daze. And his eyes quickly opened as he pulled away, shocked at what he had done, ashamed at how quickly he let his emotions get the better of him. 

“Sakura-Hime! I’m so sorry!” He said quickly as he helped pull her up and off him, setting her aside. He saw the shock in her eyes as her hand slowly moved to touch her lips and the shame washed over him. Moving so he could properly bow his head in shame in front of her. His forehead touching the ground as he realized what he had just done. A moment of desire, of want, of foolishness could ruin what he cherished so much, her. Her presence, her smile. Would she request him to be dismissed? If not, would she be unable to be alone with him, afraid that he’d attack her. He had tarnished her innocence, a kiss, something so intimate, he shouldn’t be alive right now. Maybe he should commit--

“Shisui...”She whispered, and he never felt so dirty. A million thoughts were running through his head before he felt her soft fingers lift his chin up so he could look at her. And there were tears in her eyes and he wanted to die. Right there, he wanted his heart to stop because he had made his princess cry. He had made the woman he treasured deep in his heart cry. He had cause this terrible thing to happen and he was an awful terrible human being. How could he—

She kissed him. She had leaned down and kissed him so softly, and he swore he must have died cause this was not possible. His princess was kissing him and the million of thoughts that were running through his head stopped as he only thought of her. Anchored by her soft touch, by her sweet lips, by the tears that he felt as he sat up a bit more to capture her face in his hands, wiping away the tears. 

“Idiot.”She said breathlessly as she continued to cry and press her lips against his. “It took you long enough.” A breathless laugh as she looked into his shocked and warm dark eyes, the ones that were watching over her, the ones that were always kindly looking at her from behind. The ones that she knew she could trust the most. 

“Sakura-Hime..I’m not worthy.” He stuttered out as he looked at her, still in shock at everything that was happening. His princess had kissed her back,He was still processing over her words, still reeling over just the mere fact that she was smiling at him, leaning into his hands with a soft smile as she looked at him with so much... _love._

“And who would be worthy of me? I think the price for my hand is too high for any man in this world.” She teased softly before she took both of his hands off her face, feeling the pads of his fingers wet with her tears before she held them tightly in hers and set them in her lap. “I shall talk to my father.” 

“Sakura-Hime! I couldn’t..I can’t give you the life you deserve.”

“I refuse to live a life without you, Shisui. I refuse to be married off, to pretend to be able to love a man that I could never love as much as I do love you.” 

“You love me?” 

“Yes, you silly idiot. I’ve been in love with you since we were children. I’ve been in love with you that I half wondered if my affections would never be returned.” There was something so beautiful about the way she smiled at him at that moment. Maybe it was relief, maybe it was the mere fact that she was loved as she loved him. 

“Sakura-Hime..I’m just a soldier..I’m just a guard. I could not ever give you everything you deserve.” 

“Who ever told you I wanted anything from you besides you to stay by my side. For your love, to have you with me, that’s all I could ever want. I am not even close in line for the throne nor do I want it. I just don’t want to leave this place. I want to help my people and no mere husband could ever understand that. But you...you who have been my companion, my friend, my shadow. You know me better than anyone else. You, who knew me best—How could you not be everything I could ever want.”

“A princess could never...Your father, the king would—“ 

“The king adores you. My father had always said how he would love to have had you as a son. He loves me. He wants what’s best for me. He has secured enough allies and and has heirs to take the throne. He has told me to follow my heart and find what makes me happy, and you, my sweet stupid guard has never failed to make me happy. I will speak to my father. He will be delighted to know that I will not grow an old maid. That I have found my heart. ”

It seemed too good to be true, but there she was turning down and destroying every doubt, every scare, everything that he thought would block him from her. That would tell him that he could never see himself as worthy of her. Here she shined like a pillar of light, his moon, his sun, and all his stars just shining down at him. A light to save himself from the shadows. “Sakura-Hime...”

“Tell me you love me. That I am not just opening up my heart to someone who made a momentarily mistake.” Her voice, her strong confident voice now quivered at the idea that maybe she made a terrible mistake in revealing her entire heart. To feel so vulnerable was frightening. 

“I love you more than words.” He whispered softly before lifting his head to kiss her lips softly before laughing and peppering her entire face with kisses. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” He said each reverent word with all his heart. 

Giggling, her eyes closing into half moons as she smiled under his kisses, trying to push him away and telling him that it tickled but he only pulled her in closer. “I’ll talk to my father tomorrow. Before the meeting with the dignitaries. I will tell them that my heart already belongs to someone else. That I found a man that I can have a wonderful life with. I will tell my father that you...you are the only one I could ever love.” 

And under the moonlight, they shared sweet and soft kisses, realizing that their affections were shared and it was no longer a dream that they had to push aside in fear. They would have a wonderful life, he would be her shadow, but also her partner. Lacing her fingers with his, she pressed their hands between their chests, feeling their heartbeat sync together. A love like this could change the world. 

The king had been more than welcoming to the idea of having his daughter stay with him if she married Shisui. He had laughed warmly before nodding with pleasure. He could not be more than happy to give his hand to the man that had protected his daughter all his life. It had been more than he had imagined. To be accepted, to be able to love. This was more than so many could ever ask for. This was a blessing shining upon them before he noted that they would have to simply greet their guests with friendly terms. The king put a hand on Shisui’s shoulder once more before nodding. “You are a more than suitable for my wild flower.” He said with a kindness as before putting on the mask of the king and entering the tea room. Shisui truly could not believe this was happening. But the tight squeeze of Sakura’s hand in his, looking down to his princess, he saw nothing but truth. Their love had a future.

But that was all too good to be true. And the universe was cruel.

It was quiet as he watched over the king smile at the ambassadors and the foreign dignitaries. The Namikaze clan was strong, and the blonde boy looked more than kind. Even Sakura would admit that if her heart did not already belong to the dark haired man standing only a few steps behind her she would be charmed by his bright smile. 

Sakura turned her head when no one was watching her as the tea was being set up for them and caught the glance of her beloved. A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips before he gave her a wink and motioned with a finger to turn back around. A smile gracing her lips, she put her hand up to mouth, her sleeve covering her face as she giggled. 

But then she smelled it, a bitter nutty smell. She stared down at the tea before her, a white tea that should not have that scent, but she still smelled it. It was so strong. Her green eyes turned to look at the servant pouring the strange tea into her father’s cup, which was beside hers. Her eyes widened in shock.

She recalled in her books that a certain poison would smell of nuts. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. She watched the ash-grey haired servant finish pouring the king’s tea. Her father would die right beside her, but to do it in front of allies, of people that came into their home with good will, this was a call for war. Her father who had plans to bring peace, her father who had approved of her affections for a man that most would deem beneath her. Her father that gave her so many choices, that turned the other way when she was studying something she shouldn’t have because he wanted nothing more than her own happiness. 

The king who was so good to his people. That wanted to do more. And if he died here, in front of visiting clansmen, a war would breakout. Someone wanted them to fight each other, to bring about pain and devastation during a time of peace. A war of misunderstanding, some would blame the Namikaze who have been nothing more than understanding and kind to her refusal. Their son cheerfully remarking how they should at least continue to be friends. She could slap the tea away, she could, but that would only mean another case would arise, another attempt on her father’s life. So many of her people would die if she didn’t—

“Father!” She said quickly which brought a stern gaze from her father who was looking at her as she revealed how unladylike her manners were before she settled down and pressed a smile to her lips. An expression that worried Shisui as he stood in the back with the other guards and servants. It brought a chill down his spine as she took the teacup from her father’s tray. “I mean..your majesty... I would love to try some of your tea. I always have the same one.” She said as her hand shook slightly as she knew the choice she was making. 

“My tea?” 

“Hime-sama...”The ash-grey servant said with a strained grin. “I could always get you a different tea if the white is not your preferred.” He was caught and he knew it. 

“No. I would like you to stay. If I like it.....” She stared at the tea in the cup. It looked so normal, maybe she was just being paranoid. Perhaps the summer heat was getting to her head. “I would like to ask you to make me my own batch. You did make this tea, did you not?” When the servant nodded nervously, his feet itching to leave. She put a smile on her lips. “Then stay. I would like to be able to praise your skills.”Her tone was stern as she watched him, her green eyes sharp. She hoped that Shisui could hear her tone, could hear her concern, could hear her worry. She hoped that he would catch on quickly Before taking a slow sip of the tea, her eyes watching the servant’s as she did. 

It did not burn as it went down, it did not sting her tongue. It tasted a bit old, a bit metallic at the end but maybe she was wrong. She prayed she was wrong. But then again she was far more clever than most would believe, and even if she only read books about it she knew she was right. 

**Red.**

Blood spluttered out of her mouth and covered the white silk of the kimono she wore. It even splattered onto her father’s garments and the king yelled out for his daughter in panic. Screams and the room was in a panic, the visitors being quickly guarded by their own guards and being quickly taken out of the room. The other guards quickly shielding the king that was crying over his daughter as she spluttered and choked on her own blood, crying out for a medic. Crying out for someone to help her as he held his daughter that had been alive beside him just moments before. The daughter who had a light in her eyes when he told her that he would grant her wish and saw a future so bright. 

But now everything was dark in her green eyes as she inched toward death’s door. Shisui was quick and swiftly pinned the servant that had served the tea, his eyes full of anger as he wanted nothing more than to kill the man before him. “Who are you!?” He shouted angrily as he choked the man and threw him down onto the floor _Kabuto._ He said with a grin on his lips, manic as he felt the first punch into his jaw. Breaking a few teeth, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing will ever be enough to pay for his crimes. 

“Why?!” He screamed again as He angrily beat the man that hurt his princess, that had tried to kill his king. _For chaos. For power. For glory._ It was only when his cousin, Itachi had pulled him away that he was able to stop himself. But he was sent here by someone and he had to reassure himself that this man would only wish for a quick death once Ibiki was done with him. He then turned to see his beloved, covered in her own blood as her father cradled his daughter, crying openly as he begged her to stay with him. 

Helpless. That was what he felt at that moment. He was duty bound to protect her but this was...He couldn’t. His love for her couldn’t protect her. So as he rushed to her side, as she moved her heavy body towards him, he held her head in his laps felt tears run down his cheeks as he saw his princess trying desperately to stay with him.“Sakura-Hime. Help is coming, please just stay with us for a moment longer. Please don’t leave me. Do not leave me alone in this cruel world.” He begged her to stay, he knew what sort of pain she must be in, he could see it in her eyes. Those bright green eyes that turned more dull by the passing second. Her eyes said a single thing and it was an apology. 

Let him go back to the gardens of last night. Where they laid side by side, holding hands as they stared up at the stars, hoping for a future together. She had been so happy when she had told him about the future they had planned. Of how she wanted kids, at least three. And she hoped they’d have a son that looked like him. She told him how she always wanted a pretty son. And that brought a flabbergasted sound from the man as he said that she should not say such things so easily. But she just easily grinned at him. Teasing him if he was not confident in keeping her satisfied, she may have to reconsider her affections. He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed hers softly but the glint in his eyes caused her to blush as pink as her hair before he shook his head. As if telling her to be careful, that he could only hold back for so long. 

She had turned red before he bursted out laughing and poked her forehead. Noting how naive and innocent she was. How he didn’t know if she knew who she was dealing with. She had smacked his arm with a laugh and when he feigned to be in immense pain, she gasped and quickly moved to check over him before he surprised her with another kiss. With that he got another slap on his chest but he couldn’t help but laugh. This was what life was about wasn’t it? To laugh, to have fun, to be happy with the person you loved most. To imagine a beautiful future and he did, he could see it now. His wife, the princess, with her pink hair, looking at him with a child that looked half like her and half like him. A future where they could help the poor, to future where they could build a better life for so many. A future where they were together.

“Please..my love. Please don’t...” He begged her over and over again as he pressed his forehead against hers. He could not lose her. There were tears running down both of their faces as he felt their last moment coming to a close soon. “I cannot...We were supposed to have...I couldn’t protect you..I’m so sorry. Sakura....” He whispered her name so reverently, so softly, a prayer to every god that they could take him. Take him instead of his sweet princess. “I cannot live without you. Please...” 

And with all her strength she reached up to wipe a tear from his eyes. She had caused him so much pain in the end, it broke her heart to know that this would be the last image of him she’d see in her short life. “One last smile?” She choked out, dry as she could hear her last heartbeats in her ear. A selfish request as she saw his lips tug and as he shook his head rapidly. As if telling her that she had to live, that it could not be the last smile, that this could not be how their story ends. This could not be—

While he was a foolish man, an idiot sometimes, that was only for her, his princess. He was far more smarter than he let on and he knew the dark truth that this was her final request. Her final command as his princess and it took every part of him to try to smile, a pitiful smile as he stared down at her, a small sad smile that must have taken more strength than moving a mountain appeared on her bloody lips. _Goodbye._ It said before her hand fell from his face and Shisui let out a blood curdling, painful yell as he held his princess in his arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think of this and just I hope you enjoy! So each season will be a different universe in this story, they may or may not all be connected. Please leave comments if you can because I do enjoy reading them! 
> 
> Summer: Princess Sakura + Bodyguard Shisui Universe. 
> 
> Follow my twitter @bledstars


	2. AKI | AUTUMN

He had always prided himself for being the fastest shinobi since the Fourth Hokage. He even got a nickname that he was quite fond of, Shunshin no Shisui. To flicker, to be so fast that in a blink of an eye he could be behind his opponent ready to strike. He was also one of the youngest to awaken the Mangekyou sharingan, so he was called a genius, but that title he just shrugged it off. The Uchiha clan always produced at least one genius every few years. It was not a surprise to him that he was the chosen one, it didn’t matter to him. For he had seen enough Uchiha geniuses fall into madness. Madness from the overwhelming burden of the clan’s ambitions. Madness from their own desire for power and how it blinded them. 

He always found it ironic how their clan’s greatest power was also their greatest downfall. He knew that in time, his mother would find a suitable match within the clan so he can start a family not for the sake of his own happiness, but for the sake of the clan. That was a path he did not want to walk. He would not want his future child to be cursed and tied to the clan like he was. He would not want his child to have to see the things he had seen. 

He had failed his cousin, his best friend, Itachi from the fate that he had seen. Another Uchiha genius he said with a bitter smile. And he half worried that his cousin may be given a bigger burden than he could bear. They both saw the shinobi world for how it was, how scaryand terrifying it could truly be. How seeking out power could only lead to more pain and more chaos. Their twisted desire for glory will always be one’s downfall. And unlike Shisui, Itachi was going to be the head of the clan someday. He never stood a chance. 

A shinobi’s life was short, he’d be lucky to even reach his twenties. So, being fast was the only way he could get everything done for the day. While he was far more carefree than his relative, that didn’t mean he took his job, his life, his time lightly. After giving the mission report to the Hokage, the ANBU captain quickly took off his mask and walked through the streets of the village he committed his life to protect. He had a few hours before he had to train with Itachi. He wasn’t used to having free time but he’ll take it when he could. He just had to make up his mind fast if he wanted to get anything done. 

Maybe he could grab a proper bite to eat, but he knew his mother would have dinner ready so he shouldn’t have anything too heavy. A few hours could mean he could go into the library and find some new books to read, polish up his knowledge, whether it be regional maps or jutsus, there was always something to learn. Maybe he could ask one of the Hyuugas if they wanted to spare. He was especially close to Nako-Chan from the branch family. She was always fun to spar with but maybe it wasn’t a good idea. He had come to notice that she looked at him a bit more affectionately than he preferred. Sighing, he let his feet lead him through the village, hands at the back of his head as he stretched out his arms and stared blankly up into the clouds. 

Maybe a nap. _Yes!_ His body screamed out for some rest, tired from the last mission, nights of barely any sleep, it was exactly what his body needed. Tongue clicking against the roof of his mouth, he flickered to the quiet part of training ground that had enough trees to rest in. What he didn’t expect was a little girl crouched over under his favorite tree. Gripping a branch, he quickly jumped over her head and rolled onto the ground with a huff. He almost stepped on a little kid, he really must be tired if he couldn’t even get his footing on the proper branch. 

Lifting his head, he stared at the girl who had a red ribbon in her pink hair, still bent over, her hands quickly working with some fabric.“You okay there, Little Lady?” He said as he brushed off the leaves and sticks from his hair as he walked towards the girl. She was still hunched over, her hands moving quickly. “Hey. Kid.” He said as he put a hand on top of her shoulder. The little girl jolted and turned her head to the stranger that interrupted her. 

Her eyes were so green. That was what he first thought as he stared into them, wide and innocent, untouched by the shinobi world. She must be around Sasuke’s age. There was something in him that wanted to protect that look in her eyes. To shield her from the horrors fo the world that creeped just outside the village walls, sometimes even lurking within the shadows..

Oh. There was a bird in her hands. And it looked injured. The poor thing must have fallen down from a nest. He looked up from the tree he was about to lounge in, and there it was a nest high above.The little bird kept moving about in her hands as she tried to tie the piece of fabric she must have ripped off and tie to their hurt wing. 

“You’re gonna get yourself hurt if you do that.” He said with a soft chuckle at how she puffed up her cheeks, her eyes brimming with frustrated tears. “I don’t know much but—”His hand soon glowed a soft green. His skills at being fast had put him on the fast track to being an ANBU, but if he could do anything, it would be a medic-nin. To help, to heal, to save. For so long, he wanted nothing more than that. Instead his hands were covered in blood, his speed, the thing that he prided himself had made his dream just a dream. He could only do the basics, healing cuts and bruises. Nothing too deep, nothing to complex, hell he couldn’t even heal a sprain. Just surface level pains but for such a small bird, he was sure that it wouldn’t need much. 

“Wah...” The little girl’s voice lifted softly as she watched him heal the small bird before taking the piece of cloth from her little hand and putting it around the wing. 

“Want to tie it for me?” A smile on his lips, he saw her nod enthusiastically as her small fingers quickly made a bow before looking up at him. Her eyes bright and hopeful. And there was something so sweet about the way she smiled up at him, the way she didn’t look at him like a soldier, she didn’t look at him like his name wasn’t in the bingo books, a dangerous shinobi to be wary of. 

“You healed them.” Her small voice was so cute and he had to resist pinching those cute pink cheeks of hers. Nodding he got to his feet and quickly walked up the tree to place the little bird with the rest of his siblings. A grateful peck at his hand as he let the bird hobble out and join the jovial sounds of his fellow siblings of having the youngest back in home. It was small, it was insignificant, but it made him proud that he could do something _good_ again. 

Jumping down and landing on the grass with ease, he saw the girl look up at him, her eyes half moons as she smiled with her entire face. “Now Little Lady, what are you doing in this forest all alone? Playing hide and seek with your friends? ” The smile faltered and he regretted his words. Shifting a little from the spot she was seated in, she shook her head.

“Ino-Chan has training with her dad. It’s her first lesson in learning her family’s jutsu.” 

_Ino..._ probably from the Yamanaka clan. And knowing her name, she was probably the one that will be part of the next InoShikaCho trio. Settling down and sitting down at the base of the tree, he tilted his head to the side as he watched her fidget and huff in childish annoyance. “So? No other kids around to play?” 

“No one is as nice as Ino-Chan. Everyone else makes fun of me.” She sniffed, rubbing her nose. “They say I’d just get in the way of their games. That I’m not strong enough...fast enough...”Another huff before she puffed out her cheeks. Shisui forgot how cruel children can be,,but he also knew that some of that cruelty stemmed from their parents. They learned how to be against one another, to always push each other in order to be at the top. The shinobi system fostered cruelty in children and Shisui couldn’t say he was a fan. “They say I’m not good enough to be a shinobi.” 

Shisui blinked slowly, he never wanted to imagine this little girl having to go through the trials of being a shinobi. He would rather protect that shining innocence in her eyes, the soft smile, her desire to help even the smallest of birds from pain. He’d rather see her— “You don’t have to be a shinobi, there are other ways to help the village.” 

Snapping her head up, her eyes wide, he could tell that no one told her those words before, that it was almost expected to dream of being a shinobi, to desire to be a fighter. Shaking her head, she curled her hands into fists before she set them on top of her lap.Looking up into the sky, she let out a sigh. “I want to be able to protect the people I love...” 

There was something about this kid.There was a maturity underneath all the childish features. Sure, he only knew her for a few minutes, and he was sure she’d be a loud and annoying kid but the way she looked right now, her bright green eyes staring a million meters away. The wind breezing through him he simply stared at her, playing with her the hem of her skirt. He was so tired, and using some of his chakra to heal that bird was enough to warrant for him to close his eyes and doze off. 

_There she was beside his bed side as he shivered in pain from the fever. The chills running down his body that made him feel so cold. Coughing into the sheets, he wanted to ask the princess to leave. She shouldn’t be here, she could get ill with whatever he had caught. “You should go to your chambers, princess.” His voice was barely able to get a word out and the glare he received made him shut his mouth quickly._

_“Idiot.”But her voice didn’t hold the strength that it normally did as she dabbed his forehead with a wet cloth. Her green eyes were full of worry and concern and it made his heart clench. “You do not give me orders. And—“ Lowering her hand, the princess looked at him, her eyes tired as she looked at him before she put her head down on top of his chest and listened to his heart beat, his chest expand as he inhaled slowly.“ I want to be able to protect the people I love.”_

“Are you okay?” A voice snapped him out of his daze, like he was underwater slowly coming to the surface. The little girl had got up from her place in the grass and had walked over to him. Her small hand wiped away a stray tear that must have trialed down his cheek as he dozed off to having whatever. that strange dream was.The look of worry in her green eyes looked just like the girl from whatever dream he just had. 

“Yeah...why wouldn’t I be.”The smile he pulled onto his lips felt harder to stretch in front of her. Harder to fake in front of this pink haired, green eyed kid that looked at him like he wasn’t something damaged just because he showed his emotions. 

“My mom tells me it’s okay to cry when you are in pain.” She said before her small hand rose to pat him on the head and Shisui’s eyes grew large as he felt the comforting hand of a kid on top of him. How long had it been since he was told it was okay to cry? How long had it been since he was last comforted.It made him realized he wasn’t just physically tired. That the ache was beyond his bones, that it went through his entire body, taking over his entire life. There was an emptiness, an ache that he could never seem to shake away no matter how much he tried. 

He let out a choked laugh mixed in with the sob as he felt his chest heave, wanting nothing more than to let out the frustrated scream that was festering inside him. The one that had to kill again, the one that had to watch his comrade die in front of him, the one that hated how quickly the world was to take away everything good and innocent in the world. He didn’t realize how long he sat there, letting the small child pat his head as he tried to wipe away the tears that seemed to not stop with the back of his sleeve. 

“They call me a cry baby. But..I don’t think there’s anything wrong with crying.” Her voice was soft as she finally sat down and moved so she could peak under his hunched back. Her green eyes staring up at him before she gave him a soft smile. “You need a little rain to see the flowers bloom.” 

A weak smile appearing on his lips as he looked at her. Innocence radiated off her and warmed his cold heart. “I think you’re right about that Little Lady. Thanks...It’s been a while since I last had a good cry.”

“Well...You deserve it. No one should try to be strong all the time. It would be too hard.” For such a little girl, she sure was wise. Smiling, he reached out and ruffled the short pink hair. He had forgotten what it was like to just take his time, not being on edge, not feeling like he had to rush to the next mission. This slow moment here with this kid it seemed like exactly where he was supposed to be. 

“Haruno Sakura!” She said with a bright smile as she sat up straight and extended her hand out. Eyes widening a bit, he chuckled low before taking her hand and shaking it. 

It seemed familiar, like they had met before. The feeling of nostalgia never leaving his mind as he took her small hand into his and shook it. Maybe he had seen her passing through the village. Or maybe this is the first time meeting in this lifetime. “The name suits you. My name is Uchiha Shisui.”

“Oh! Then you must know Sasuke-Kun!” 

“Ahh I do...Wait a minute..do you have a little crush on my baby cousin.” A teasing smile on his lips as he leaned in an tapped her forehead with his two fingers. 

She was quick to blush before shaking her head, swatting his hand away. “No! No! It’s not like that at all. I just think he looks very...”Her lips turned into an attempt at a scowl and then a pout. Was that supposed to be an impression of his cousin? He couldn’t help but laugh and watch how she giggled behind her hand. “You know what I mean?” 

“I do. Sasuke always looks like he smelled something bad.” A cheerful laugh left the pinkette and he wanted nothing more than to keep her this happy. The way she laughed with her whole body, bending over, mouth opened wide, her eyes closed into half moons. Her emotions were true and not hiding anything. It truly made him see the real reason why he became a shinobi. To protect people like her, to protect that sort of smile. The way her green eyes sparkled as she stared up at him, watching him with an intensive gaze. “Hmm? Is there something wrong, Sakura-Chan?” 

“But you don’t! You have a nice smile. Like right now. Your smile...it looks..” She reached out and touched his cheek, before giving him a bright and gummy smile. “It suits your face.” 

“Is that so, Little Lady?” He said with a soft grin as he propped his elbow on top of his knee, his chin cupped by the palm of his hand as he stared at the girl before him. “I think I’ll have to thank you for finding it for me. Thought i lost this smile of mine.” His smile was endearing as he reached out and ruffled her hair again. That action earned him a huff and a pout as she swatted his hand away and tried to fix her hair. Yeah, he could get used to slowing down if it meant that he could spend time like this. 

It had been a few weeks since that incident and it had made a world of difference in his life. His shoulders no longer felt heavy with a burden he could not place. He was going out more, spending more time with his former teammates, not being overtaken by the duty of a shinobi. He was no longer just the infamous Shunshin no Shisui. He was Shisui and that was enough for the first time in a long time. Even Itachi noted with a smile that it was good to see Shisui looking like his old self. That he had long feared that the amount of ANBU missions that he was assigned was stripping the man of who he really was. He was reminded that his life could not be as bleak and heavy as he once thought it was. 

That there was good. That there was a reason to keep going. His desire to protect this village and it’s people grew as he saw the world as more than just cruel. There could be peace. That he could have hope. 

He had a chance to meet with Sakura a few more times, sometimes when she was reading under the tree that they met. Sometimes when she was with Sasuke and the rest of her classmates. She was blossoming into a more confident little kid. More confident in her skills, and of course her high intelligence wasn’t anything to forget about. He was always surprised at the sort of books she was reading at such a young age. 

“Shisui. You’re being watched.” Itachi said with an amused smile as he took a bite of dango and nodded his head towards the garden behind him. They had just come back from a mission together, and thought they could take a break at the tea house. Turning around, he looked over his shoulder to see a little flash of pink quickly hide behind the tree. 

A grin appeared on his lips before he turned back to Itachi and vanished quickly from his spot at the table. A few steps behind the little spy, watching as she slowly began peaking out from behind. Mimicking her actions, he stood behind her and waved at Itachi with a smile before he put a hand on top of the pink hair. “Hello Little Lady.” He said with an amused tone, especially when she yelped and turned around quickly. The look of surprise quickly shifted to a big smile.

“Shisui-Kun!” A laugh left her lips as he picked her up and spun her around before carrying her onto the patio where his cousin sat. “Did you have a good mission? You didn’t get hurt right?” 

“Just a couple scratches and bruises. But no broken bones and no hospital visits.” He said before he dropped her down onto the seat next to him and handed her a stick of dango. Taking it with a smile, she thanked the two older boys before taking a bite. “Now tell me how you found me.” 

“My mama works here and told me to play in the garden then I saw you come in. I thought you saw me but when I noticed that...” She got quiet as she stared at her hands before looking back up at the Shisui. “I’m not annoying you am I? Not bothering you?” 

“Hardly!” He said with a laugh before lifting the teacup to his lips. “I can only handle Itachi telling me how I should be more careful for the hundredth time. You’re actually saving me, Little Lady.” A huff from his cousin as he smiled before motioning towards Itachi and then to Sakura with a hand gesture. “Itachi here is Sasuke’s big brother and my dear dear baby cousin.” He said with a grin and the lightness in Itachi’s eyes at the sight of a child shifted to glare at Shisui before the older stuck out his tongue. “And right here, this is the Little Lady, Sakura.” 

“Ahh.. So you’re Sakura-Chan.” Itachi said with a soft smile as he turned his attention to the girl before him as he took another stick of dango for himself. “You’re the one that got top scores on your written exams at the academy, right? My little brother was very upset.” 

“You beat Sasuke?” Shisui said with an excited grin as she looked up at him with an enthusiastic nod. “I’m proud of you, little lady. Eat all the dango you want...Itachi is paying.” 

A giggle before taking another bite of her own stick and nodding. “So, how is academy life treating you, Sakura-Chan?” Itachi asked before taking another sip of tea and hearing the pinkette voice her adventures and experience. Shisui couldn’t look happier than to just listen to the girl talk about learning the.hand signs, and showing the ones she had been practicing. 

“Wait. Wait.. Your thumb has to go here, and your index finger like that.” He said as he took her small hands and maneuvered them around to make the correct sign. “There we go.” 

“Since when do you teach kids, Shisui? Should she be calling you Shisui-sensei?” Genma said with a chuckle as he came back from the bathroom to see a new member to their little tea party. “So what do you think about Shisui-sensei? Is he a good teacher?”

“He’s a great teacher!” She said before Shisui could even shut Genma up with a glare. A raised brow as he looked at the little girl whose hands were now balled into little fists in her lap. “He’s smart. He’s fast. He’s a great shinobi! But he also doesn’t treat me like some kid! He’s really nice and had nice fluffy hair.” A low chuckle from Itachi and Genma as they saw Shisui turn red from the compliments that Sakura so easily said as if he wasn’t there. Raising his teacup so that he could pretend not to feel a little embarrassed at her honest behavior. “And I going to marry Shisui-Kun when I grow up so—!” Huffing she finished her last dango and got up to her feet before running to look for her mother.

That last statement was what got the entire group. There was a moment of silence as Shisui choked on the tea he was drinking. Genma laughed loudly as he watched Itachi sigh and go to his cousin’s side to pat his back. “She’s gonna marry you. Not want, but going to. What a spitfire.” 

“Ha Ha. Shut up Genma.” Shisui said with a glare, trying to stop his cheeks from getting anymore red than it already was. “I’m sure she just wanted make a point.” 

“No..Not from what I hear from my little brother. When she declares something, she’s always sets out to complete it. She even said that she would get top score because people kept teasing her that she was from a civilian family and..well she got the top score.” _That’s my girl._ Shisui thought with a smirk before he shook Itachi off and let out a sigh. 

“Well.. _shut up._ ” He said with a pout before he grabbed the last dango before any of the others could get it. He wasn’t going to think of the idea of an older Sakura or the chance of even having a family of his own. Having a wife. Hell he was barely a teenager himself, but—the life of a shinobi also meant that those things..this things weren’t things to dream about. Not even if he wanted to dream about marrying the girl that made his life an it more brighter. A bit more colorful. No. He just couldn’t do that. 

What he could do is enjoy his time with her. Enjoy his life? That’s not the way a shinobi’s life worked. His life was to be a soldier, to risk his life, whose name would be carved into a stone where someone may place flowers upon. His life was not something he could dream to make better. 

But there she was again, peaking behind her mother’s skirt, giving him a shy wave and a bashful smile, and he imagined it once again. Not to just be part of her life, but to have one. To have a fulfilling life that wasn’t just the smell of blood and the sound of metal clashing against one another. 

“I’m jealous.” He said with a serious tone as he watched the scene in front of him. There was Itachi getting his hair braided by Sakura-Chan. There was a pout on his lips as he watched her giggle and add another flower into his hair. It had become custom for Sakura to join their table at the tea house and Itachi had grown fond of the little lady. 

She brought out the best in them. Brought out the humanity after a mission. A representation of what they were fighting for. A world of peace, of smiles, of laughter A world where they could sit around a teahouse with friends, share dango, and make stupid jokes. A world where time wasn’t demanding that they go faster, that they were wasting time in relaxing. A world where they were not just weapons of their village. 

Where they weren’t trying to fight off a coup within their own clan. It seemed as though it was only the two of them against the leadership of the clan who wanted nothing more than to watch the village burn. A village that Shisui and Itachi both loved and protected with all their hearts. 

“You should have nice hair like Itachi-nii.” Sakura said with as she combed and continued to work with his hair. “Your hair is too curly and short to play with. Itachi-nii has really silky soft hair.” 

“Thank you, Sakura-Chan.” There was a softness in his eyes as he looked up a the younger girl. The one he usually reserved for his own little brother. But the little lady made it so easy to fall for her endearing and sweet charms. 

“You can add butterfly clips into my hair like last time!” 

“Are you seriously asking her to put butterfly clips in your hair?” 

“Look, you are occupying all of Little Lady’s time. I deserve to have some of her attention, after all she said she would be marrying me not you.” 

“....Are you actually jealous?” 

“Yes! Little Lady is not giving me my dose of her attention. I have been spoiled. I need it.” 

“You’re ridiculous.” 

“I didn’t bring my butterfly clips today.” She said with a pout before she thought for a moment and took out the red ribbon on top of her hair. Quickly she moved away from Itachi and went around the table to then reached over to take off his hitai and set it aside before she put the red ribbon around his head. Her tongue sticking out between her teeth as she concentrated and both Itachi and Shisui had to stop themselves from chuckling at how serious she looked. 

After neatly tying it, she took the hitai and tied it over the ribbon around his forehead, securing it with a tug before smiling at her work. “Your hitai strands looked worn out and so I added that to make sure your bangs don’t go in front of your eyes!” She said with a proud cheeky grin before plotting down beside Shisui and working on the workbook he had gifted her on strategic tactics and puzzles. A bit more advanced than what the academy would teach her, but she seemed to catch onto it well. 

She was truly a genius. And sitting beside two, they knew that she would be a brilliant ninja, with so much potential. She was already understanding Genjutsu at such an advanced level that the two older Uchiha boys knew that one day she would be more than capable of breaking even a sharriagan’s illusion

“Is the problem difficult, little lady?” He asked as he saw her brows furrow before she drew the scenario of the problem. Putting little X’s and O’s to indicate the two teams and the formation that they were doing to trap the enemy nin. 

“It’s just...” 

“Hmn?” 

“I’m just trying to remember everything.” 

“You don’t have to memorize the strategies.” 

“No…not that…I meant..” There was something shy in her eyes as she lowered her pencil and looked up at Shisui with a sad expression. She looked older at that moment, wiser, like someone who had seen far too much. “My friend’s cousin didn’t come back from a mission recently. They were a Jonin….and they…” A pause as looked back at the workbook. “You and Itachi-nii go on more dangerous missions. I hear everyone say how you are the best….but…what if you don’t…I want to make sure I can at least remember you.” 

Sakura’s mother called out to her daughter, indicating that she had finished her shift and it was time to go home. Getting up from her spot, she looked at the two boys who still didn’t know what to say to her confession as she gathered her things and waving them a goodbye. “I’ll see you soon!” 

They met under the tree on the day that it was decided that Shisui would use Kotamatsukukami on Fugaku. 

“You...you’re okay with the plan, Itachi?”He asked a bit wary. A part of him knew this was the best choice, that this was the only choice. The coup would disrupt all peace, a civil war. And to be frank, Shisui didn’t know which side he would choose, or if he would be forced to fight against the village he loved simply because of his name. 

“My father won’t stop. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants...Despite what I say. Despite it all, he believes this is what would be best for the clan.” Itachi said Cooley, he felt nervous as he patted against the side of his pants. “I have a mission.” 

“I know. That’s why it would be the best time to...”

“Shisui. Don’t. You are taking the route with the least amount of casualties. We can’t..I refuse to have my brother experience what I have. If I can protect him from that...we can mend the relationship we have with the village. We just need more time.” 

“I...I just hope what I’m going to do...that it works. That it’s able to protect everyone.” 

“It’s not just for the village or our clan is it?” Itachi asked with a small small, that mixed with concern and sympathy. Leaning against the tree trunk, the very same one where little black bird had fallen and the Little Lady took it upon herself to take care of the bird. 

Gazing out onto the field, he saw the leaves turn, ready to fall from, an indication that autumn was in the air. Staring out at the trees, he wondered if he could have it all. The way she spoken, the look of determination in her eyes. A part of him wondered if there was anyone that could change his destiny, it would be her. If anyone could make him dream of a happy life, it would be the girl with the green eyes and pink hair that patted him on the head and hid his face so that he could cry behind her small body. 

A small smile lifted in his lips. Maybe...It was okay to have a dream. A hope. Isn’t that what he was fighting for? A world of peace so that he wouldn’t have to worry about what a Shinobi’s death would be like? A world where he could protect those he loved. A world where he could protect this village,A world where he could protect his little lady. 

Watching one leaf finally start to fall, he wondered if it was a symbol for a change to come. Maybe he could beat this endless cycle of pain and cruelty. Maybe the world could change for the better. 

He wanted to protect her. He wanted to make this village better for her. He wanted to do it for his little lady. 

“Shut up, Itachi.” He said with a small smile before flickering off. Landing on top of the roof of her home, right outside her window, he saw her reading a book on chakra control and wondered if she was really as young as Sasuke. Tapping the window with his knuckles, he watched the smile on her lips grow when she saw him. _Yeah._ He had to protect her. He was never more sure about anything in his life. 

“Shisui-kun!” She said as she opened up her window and looked up at him. Her green eyes bright and shining and full of joy. 

“Hello Little Lady.” He said with a chuckle before he ruffled her hair, noticing the new ribbon in her hair. It was bright red just like the one that was under his hitai. “Did Ino-Chan give you a new ribbon?” 

“I always had two red ones!” 

“Oh? So you just gave me your spare?” 

“No! I gave you my favorite.” 

“They look the exact same.” 

“But that one is on you, so it has to be my favorite.” 

He was a little take aback and a little embarrassed by her honest confession. Coughing into his hand a few times, before sitting on the windowsill, he wanted to spend a few moments with her before having to do what he did. 

“Shisui-kun...your eyes are red.” 

“Ah this? It’s my sharingan.” 

“Why is it on?” 

“Because i want to remember this moment.” 

A pause. A silence as she watched the way his eyes turned and glimmered under the setting sun. She put a hand on his cheeks and patted it twice. “We can always make more memories.” 

“But I like this one, Little Lady.” He said as he played with the top of her ribbon. “Do you know there’s a story about a red thread?” 

“A story? I like stories.” 

“I know you do. Now, do you want to hear it?” An enthusiastic nod before he leaned back and cocked his head to the side as he watched her get comfortable. “Ready?” 

“Ready.” The earnest look in her eyes melted his heart. The way she looked up to him and didn’t see the weapon, the monster, the shinobi. But she rather saw him, just some older kid that she told that she would marry in the future. 

“So, I lied. It’s less of a story and more of a few sentences.” 

“I thought it was a story!” 

“Hey I thought it was a story too...but my mom told me it when I was young so I only really remember a bit of it.” 

“Hmph.” 

“Don’t give me that look, little lady. You know that I’m weak to your pout.” 

“Well you shouldn’t have lied to me.” 

“For that I apologize. But do you want to hear what I have to say?” 

“No.” 

“Really?” 

“.......Okay...” 

“So does that mean that you forgive me.” 

“Yes....” She said with a softer pout, less upset than the one that graced her lips before. 

“Well my mom used to tell me that there is an invisible red thread connecting soulmates.” 

“What are soulmates?” 

“People who were destined to meet.” 

“Are we soulmates?” 

“I’m getting to that. Let me finish!” A laugh bubbled out of him as he saw how impatient she was at knowing if they were soulmates or not. “Anyways, this invisible red thread connects them. Regardless of time and place. The moment they are born, it connects them. Pulling at them to meet one another. So that means, that the thread may get stretched or tangled or pulled really really hard. But it will never break because it’s that strong. That bond that they share will never break.” 

“Oh...That’s a pretty story.” A shy smile on her lips as she tugged at her red ribbon, knowing that there was under his hitai.“Are you saying that my red ribbon is like a red string that connects us?” 

“Hmnnn. Maybe. I mean, at least I know have your favorite red ribbon. We’ll always be matching.” A small tug on his lips as he saw the sun falling into the horizon. It was almost time. By the end of this...maybe something good will come out. Bending over, he kissed the top of her forehead and gave the young girl a gentle smile. “I’m off now, Little Lady.” He whispered before flickering off to start his mission. 

“Be safe, Shisui-kun.” 

He had failed his mission. And he was now more acutely aware of the dark strings behind the rumors and strain between the clan and the village. It wasn’t by accident, Danzo wanted the divide, he wanted to manipulate both parties. Danzo and his dark troop of shinobi, Shisui could almost taste the greed and lust for power from the older man. He should have been more careful, he should have been more aware. 

And he would be dead, probably without a way to warn his family, if it wasn’t for Itachi. Itachi had wanted to go to the hospital, but he also knew the riot that would happen the moment their clan heard someone had stolen Shisui’s sharingan from inside the village. It would be the final spark to ignite the the tension between the two things they were desperate to protect. 

Groaning, he stared one more time at the moon above them, tear falling down his cheek. He knew what he had to do next. A plan b, to put the burden on his dear cousin. Setting the scroll down with his note, his lie, his legacy, he handed it to Itachi to put it in his room. 

“Are you going to write one to Sakura-Chan?” A silence as he blinked slowly, remembering the smile on her lips, the way she touched her red ribbon, the matching one that still was on his forehead.He felt a sad smile appear on his lips. He was never afraid to die. He still wasn’t even with the daunting choice that he made. But he was afraid of leaving her. Leaving her alone, not being able to tell her how sorry he was. Not being able to make her smile anymore. 

“Itachi...I have another favor to ask.”His voice was quiet before he tilted his head down to finally look at his cousin who had saved him to create this last plan. “I need you to erase her memories of me.” 

“Shisui!” Itachi looked up angrily as he shook his head. “You can’t do that to her. First off, she’s a kid. Who knows what sort of...”

“We both know that our clan had done it to multiple children in war zones. To save them from the trauma or some shit....their brains are soft enough...that it will repair the damage done by erasing their memories.” 

“But she loves you. It’s clear as day that you are an important person to her. That she...she deserves the right to miss you. To remember you.” 

“I can’t let her!” He finally snapped, his eye widening with a pain and misery that Itachi had never seen. “This is the only way I can protect her. Danzo is a dangerous man that doesn’t care. He will use her if he thinks she knows who I am. And...” He let out a hiss of pain as he felt the sharp pain in his chest. Whether it be to the injury or the choice he was making, he wasn’t sure anymore. “She’s too smart. If not now...she’ll keep wondering what happened. She won’t accept what’s about to happen. She won’t accept me just leaving her like this. She won’t and maybe not now, maybe it’ll be in a few years. Maybe it won’t even matter. But she will figure it out and...I don’t want her to waste her life because of me. I don’t want her life to be bound to me. I can’t haunt her. I can’t...I can’t be the reason why she doesn’t live her life. I want her to grow up...to live...to have a family...to have everything I can’t give her. ” 

“Shisui...you...she won’t even be able to mourn you. You will be a name on a stone that she won’t recognize. She....She will be haunted by a nameless faceless...” 

“And I will take that with me to the grave. I will take our memories selfishly and hold onto them. I will remember her but I can’t let her remember me. She won’t....If I am no one to her....she won’t be in danger because of me.” He whispered in pain as he tried to commit to memory her sweet smile, her bright green eyes, the way she patted his head the first moment they met. “I want to be able to protect her...I need to be able to...and this is the only way I can.” 

“What about Gemma? He knows that she used to...What about him?” 

“He wont let anything bad happen to her. He won’t let her get involved with whatever the Uchiha will do. He won’t let a kid like her try to find a ghost. She can’t remember me, Itachi....It’s what’s best.” 

Another pause, the wind rustling through the trees, the river below them, crashing against the rocks. It’ll be the perfect place to make sure that his body is never found. He will vanish from history, his name like the wind passing by. He will flicker away and never come back. “Okay...To protect Sakura-Chan.” 

A sad smile finally appeared on Shisui’s lips as he lifted his hand to extract his remaining eye. He whispered a prayer that what he would be doing means that Sakura would be able to live a full and long life. That she will have a chance to be happy. To be as brilliant as he pictured her becoming. “I’m sorry to put this on you, Itachi.” He said as he handed his cousin his last remaining eye, knowing that this was the only way. He could not save them. He could not protect them all. It was a foolish to think that he could. To think that he had it all figured out, that there wasn’t a hidden obstacle in the form of the man with who knows how many sharingan eyes in his possession. 

“Shisui...” 

“Goodbye Itachi.” And with that he took a step back and fell down the cliff they were standing upon. The wind against his body, closing his empty eyes, he wanted to remember the best moments of his life. Some filled with his parents while they were still living, some with Itachi. Some with his teammates and sensei. Some with his friends like Gemma and Itachi at the teahouse. And finally of a girl with pink hair patting his head, giving him a smile that meant the world to him. The girl with green eyes that looked at him with so much joy and happiness before asking him to explain the jutsu again.Falling like the leaves of the trees, he felt weightless, his heart slowing down, like time was finally giving him a chance to rest. To not always be the fastest. He wondered if they even had a chance. And even if he didn’t feel like they did, he knew that he would always treasure the short time they had shared with each other. 

He undid his hitai and dropped it, not caring where it fell, but when he felt the red ribbon that was around his head. He felt a small smile appear on his lips as he undid it carefully. Like a precious treasure. He held the ribbon tight in his hand before putting it over his chest, over his heart as he remembered her smile as she looked so proud at her new idea. The idea that he would always have a piece of her no matter where he went. 

“I love you, Little Lady.” 

Sakura woke up with a start, her chest heaving to catch a breath. She touched her cheeks and felt tears running down her cheeks. She didn’t remember having a nightmare but there was a feeling in her chest like something was terribly wrong. It felt painful. It hurt in a way she never could imagine. She grimaced as she clenched the front of shirt tightly. 

She should tell the hospital that she needed a break. All these late shifts was making the sleepless nights even more difficult than before. Running a hand through her pink hair, she got up to open the windows of her bedroom. The fresh autumn breeze hitting her cheeks as she left her room to head to her kitchen to make herself some tea. Before entering the kitchen, she checked her parents’ bedroom, saw that they were breathing, safe and sleeping peacefully. It wasn’t a bad omen about them, then. She thought quietly before closing the door. 

With a fresh mug of green tea, she moved out to her patio and sat on the chair there. Tucking her legs under her, she stared at the hot drink, the steam moving up from the mug. It had been weeks since their mission to Suna where they saved Gaara but also when they encountered Uchiha Itachi or at least a phantom version of him.

But it was the look in his eyes that confused her. She had never met him before and yet, he looked at her with so much sadness and grief. The image couldn’t get out of her head.The way his hard eyes, the eyes of a murderer, softened at the sight of her before remembering where he was. This was the man that had haunted Sasuke’s entire life. The man that killed his entire clan. The man that—

_“Sakura-Chan. Did you just steal my dango, again?”_

_“I did not! I simply borrowed it.”_

_“You definitely stole my dango.”_

_“Ahh here you go Itachi, just take one of mine. Let the Little Lady have one more treat. After all, she did have a bad day.”_

Eyes snapping open, she gasped out as one hand reached out to touch her chest. Her breathing was constricted, what was this? What was this feeling that she was forgetting someone important. That there was someone that meant the world to her and now could not even recall his name or face.

One hand hitting the side of her head, she tried to remember more. Was that a memory or some implanted genjutsu? What was going on? Was this just hallucinations from the stress and exhaustion of working double shifts? 

_“Little Lady?”_ A voice echoed in her head, with such a softness that it made her choke out a sob. No one had ever called her that. No one had ever said such a term of endearment with such warmth. Why did her heart ache so much? 

She felt her breath hitch as she tried to catch her breath as a trembling hand lifted the mug to her lips so she can take a slow sip. There was something missing in her memories, something important, she knew it for so long. 

Looking at her hands, she looked at the small scar that trailed down her right ring finger. 

_“How did you get hurt?!” The voice was full of panic as he softly took her small hand into his. His hand glowed a soft green as he began healing the pathetic wound._

_“It was just kunai practice. It’s not even that bad!”_

_“It doesn’t matter! You should be more careful, Little Lady. Damn it. It’s gonna scar, you know?”_

_“Well then I’ll remember you with it!”_

_“Haha. I’d rather you not remember me with a scar.”_

_“But...”_

_“Just be more careful, Little Lady. I can’t stand the idea of you getting hurt.”_

_“Worrywart.”_

_“Troublemaker.”_

Raising her hand, she touched the tears that had began trailing down her face. Who was that? Why couldn’t she remember who he was? Why couldn’t she see his face? Why did it make her heart clench as when she recalled his warm voice. 

She couldn’t stand this. She needed to get out of her own head. She needed to go out for a run and just clear her mind. It was just stress. She was probably mixing her memories with some book she had been reading. She’ll blame those romance books that Ino-Chan had lent her. She nodded with that, and got ready to go for a run. 

She was not losing her mind. She could not. She had worked too damn hard to get to where she is to let the stress get to her. A good meditation, a good run, that’s all she needed. 

She ran as fast as she could. She ran until she felt the burning in her lungs. The tightening in her chest as she took in another breath. She ran and ran and ran. But the voice, the memories still echoed in her head. Who was he? Why could she not remember his name?! 

Leaning against a tree, she closed her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. She didn’t have a name, or a face. All she had was a voice, an image of a hand, the way he would call her Little Lady. She shut her eyes as she turned around, back against the tree now as she slid down onto the ground. 

Then she finally saw a face, a boy who looked around her age, with dark curly hair crying as he sat under a tree. His face was buried, as he tried to hide it on top of his knee. She reached over and patted his head softly. A quiet moment, a slow moment, between two people who barely knew each other but trusted the other when they were the most vulnerable. 

_“My friend died a few years ago...today is his birthday.” He whispered quietly, as his shoulder hunched over. She didn’t expect for him to say anything, she just kept patting the top of his head, trying to soothe him and comfort him the best a kid could. “And I can barely remember his face.”_

_“But you remember him.” She whispered quietly before she wrapped her small arms around his neck and hugged him as tight as a girl her age could hug him. “He lives in your memories.”_

_“Little Lady...That’s a nice thought...I wonder if anyone would remember me”_

_“I’ll always remember you—_

_**—Shisui-kun**_.” Her mouth moved as she looked at her hand reached out to grab onto the rising sun. She dropped her hand and let out a painful scream as she held her head into her hands. Bending over as she tried to remember more, as she tried  her best to remember more but couldn’t. She promised him that she’d remember him, she promised him and she must have known him.Why couldn’t she remember him?!

_“Itachi-nii? You’ve been crying.” Her hand reached when she saw the older nin at her window. Just like Shisui-kun was earlier in the afternoon. “What happened?”_

_“Sakura-Chan...”_

_“Itachi-nii.You’re scaring me...Why are your eyes red? Why...What’s going on?”Dropping down, he kneeled down in front of the pinkette who had now started crying, fearing for the worst. “Did something happen to Shisui-kun?”_

_“Sakura-Chan...” His eyes looked so sad, and it was enough to confirm her theory. The little girl fell to her knees and cried. She cried and rubbed at her eyes. Everything in her body hurt, her mind couldn’t even process the idea that she would never see his smile, she would never hear him call her little lady again. She would never... “I need you to look into my eyes, Sakura-Chan.” A weary and tired voice spoke before two fingers lifted her chin to look at him._

_Her eyes widened as her green eyes locked with his, Itachi-nii looked so sad. She wanted to cry for him, she wanted to comfort Itachi-nii and tell him that things will be okay. That they can remember Shisui together._

_“You’re going to forget everything that ever happened between you and me....and Uchiha Shisui.” He whispered quietly as he compelled her mind to forget about the man that had left the world just a few hours ago._

_“Please....don’t....I promised..” She whispered but couldn’t moveas Itachi tilted his head, the first tears she saw him ever shed._

_“This is what he wanted. He wanted you to live a full life. He didn’t...He knows you’re too smart for your own good and he’s right. He wanted to let you know that...You were his little lady and he wanted to protect you. And that means you can’t remember him. I’m so sorry, Sakura-Chan....I just...he loved you and this is his way of saying goodbye.” And the hazy gaze that was finally returned to him as the little girl fainted in his arms. He hugged her tightly, saying goodbye to the little girl that showed both him and his cousin of the hopes and dreams they had for their village._

Blinking as she looked up at the pecking on her side. She saw a black bird, with one of their wings a little strange. She saw it look at her and she felt her tears stop before her hand clasped over her mouth. 

_“Will we ever see that baby bird again?” She asked when they began walking towards the village. Shisui took her hand before looking back at the tree where the bird’s nest was._

_“I’m sure we will. I’m sure he will remember us. I’m sure he will be watching over us when he grows up. He’s just too little..like you.”_

_“I’m not little! I’m going to be the strongest kunochi! Just you watch!”_

_“Is that so? Well I look forward to it.”_

“Idiot.” She whispered before reaching out to pet the top of the black bird’s head. The saddest smile appearing on her lips as she stared into it’s dark eyes that reminded her of the man she could barely remember. “Don’t you know that I always keep my promises?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really do like the idea that Shisui was Sakura's first big crush, and she wanted to marry him. But like whether she just forgot? or if she was too young, she just forgot about him? And then projecting that crush onto Sasuke who reminded her of her first crush?? yeah...I'm fond of that idea. 
> 
> Autumn: Naruto Universe
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this! If you can leave feedback cause I do enjoy reading all your comments!


	3. FUYU | WINTER

Hand rising to cover his eyes, he let out a shuttering breath. His heart felt heavy, his thoughts a haze as he tried to mimic sleep. It wasn’t like his kind need any. Death does not sleep. He thought with a bitter smirk and let his hand fall across his face, covering his sight from the celestial heavens above him. Who would have thought that the world of the dead was so beautiful. Tragically beautiful, but beautiful none the less. 

If you want to know anything about immortality it would be that it was a curse. His clan had cursed themselves. The Uchihas were cursed for the blood that they spilled a long long time ago. They wanted a power that mere mortal could possess. They lusted after it. Their desire for immortality was granted but something so unnatural had to come at a cost. 

They had made a deal with death but death did not just grant wishes. 

The guides between the dead and the living, they were cursed and given a job that most would never take willingly. Death would select his messengers from the clan with a sign, their once black eyes would turn red and their lives would no longer be their’s. They would have unspeakable powers, but they would also lose so much. For immortality meant that they would have to see death over and over again. To never be able to make a connection outside of their own kind. 

But for him, if something was impossible, if something was out of reach, it only made him want it more. It made him more desperate to make a connection, knowing that he'd one day have to guide the mortal being to the other side. But the terrible thing about being a messenger of death, was that most were too frightened to stick around. 

“Shisui.” 

Turning his head, he looked at his cousins, Obito and Itachi dressed for work in their long black coats, hats that covered their face. He noted the bored expressions on both fo their faces. They were the best of their kind. Getting up from his spot, he ran a hand through his hair before putting the hat on top of it.

“How many?” 

“Maybe ten.” 

“Slow day.” He drawled before stomped on the cigarette he had been smoking. “Means we can wander and linger before the portal closes.” 

“Shisui…”

“Don’t give me that look, Obito. You had one before…you know…I can’t stop myself…” He looked at the names on the envelope, a sharp intake of breath before he shoved them into his pockets. 

Another curse bestowed upon the Uchiha, they were destined to lose the one they loved most. They were destined to understand death so intimately, to feel it, to fear it. It happened to all of them at one point in their lives and no matter how far they ran, no matter how much they try to avoid it, it was inevitable. The immortal Uchiha were to fall in love , whether it be romantic or platonic, it would be a deep love, and it would be with a mortal that would be taken from them as all mortals go. Death was not their friend, was not their friend, it was their master. Mere servants that must know what it means to lose everything. Crows waiting to peck at the dead. 

Obito’s best friend had died in the war, and Obito could not save him, he could not laugh with his silver haired friend after another night of hard work. All he could do was try to stop himself from crying as he closed his friend’s empty eyes. For Itachi, it came in the form of his little brother. He was thankful that his little brother was not chosen, like he was. But that did not mean death would be kind. His brother would live a short life as his weak body was stricken with illness and pain. Itachi could only hold his brother in his arms as he took his final breath and do nothing. 

“Come on, I don’t want to waste my time. She’s waiting for me.” He said as he walked through the portal of the living and the dead. He wanted to finish his portion quickly, guide them through the door and save enough time for her.

The crunch of the snow as he walked through the city, bursting at the seems with light and technology. So many were desensitized that life was just a series of screens and instant gratification. They found comfort in the blue light, comfort in the ease of life, that they did not realize they were wasting it. Lush green forests replaced by concrete buildings so tall that he could not see the tip unless he flew up. The world was so deprived of color, he wondered if it was dying as well. He wondered what would happen to his kind once there was no more to guide. 

The white clouds of his breath in front of him, he looked at the collapsing building in front of him. It was once a church. A place of worship where people would ask for miracles, for a chance to to live a bit longer. No longer needed with the amount of technology and deals with death’s messenger that people were making. All that was required was a bit of gold and some power. 

But unlike the outside of the building that looked dead and abandoned, the inside was full of life. A colorful array of flowers and herbs that covered the rotting pews and walls. The broken floors now held medicinal herbs, an entire church turned into a greenhouse, an oasis in the grey. The walls were covered in ivy and plants that served a purpose to heal. In one corner there was an apothecary’s table, with potions and medicine. He could smell the lavender that was being crushed in the mortar. Probably something to help someone’s insomnia. The makeshift pharmacy was used for more of the lower class, those that couldn’t afford to extend their lives without the funds that was required. 

_Warm_. That was his first thought as he entered the church, taking off his hat and looking around for the garden’s keeper. It was always warm here, always full of life. While the bleak winter covered the outside world with white and death, here, it was always warm here. 

Looking around, he saw her leaning against a tree whose leaves had already fallen, her eyes closed as she slept peacefully. Slowly walking through the flowers that surrounded the only tree, careful to not crush any of the plants. Leaning down, he saw the little details. Her long pink hair in a messy fishtail braid that hung over her left shoulder. How long her lashes were, to the way her lips were slightly parted as she slept.

Putting a gentle hand on her cheek, he smiled at how warm her skin felt _._ How soft she felt. There could never be anyone as beautiful as she. That’s what he thought before she nuzzled her face against his hand, slowly waking from her slumber. He didn’t mean to wake her up, or maybe he did. He wasn’t quite sure. But with their limited time together, he at least wanted to see those green eyes look at him as well as hear her sweet voice. It would be the only way he could stay sane while they were apart. Is this what it felt like to be in love with something so weak to death? He never understood it before he met her. How could anyone be afraid of someone else dying? It was a natural part of life.

“Mmmnn..”She muttered before her eyes slowly opened, her green eyes still groggy from being awakened from her slumber.“My moon?” 

Angels of death. Demons. Hades’ servants. Reapers. Shinigami. The collection of nicknames his kind had gotten over his immortal life didn’t quite matter to him. They were just ways for mortals to understand the figure of death. To put a name to something that they could never fully understand.But when she called him her moon, when she called him that, it made him feel so full. He felt alive again. He felt complete. He felt whole when she called him out like that. He would be her moon, lighting the darkness so she never had to fear the night. It was an easy task for him to do. They say that the moon dies for the sun every evening, and he would be so willing to die for her. If only he could. 

“Hello, my sun.”He whispered before leaning in to kiss her forehead, a softness in his voice that was reserved only for her. “Did you sleep well?” 

“I did. I had a pretty dream but this is far better than what I was dreaming.” She whispered back before she leaned her head up to catch her lips with his. How many years had it been since she first met him. How many years had it been since she first realized she loved him. How many years had it been since she learned that she would one day leave him and he would be haunted by the memories they created. Smiling at him, sleep still in her eyes, she tilted her head to the side. “It’s been a while.” 

“A few weeks. I’m sorry. There were too many…” As she woke up, looking around her, her eyes quickly locked with his before shaking her head.

“No more work talk.” She spoke softly before pulling at his shirt to make him tumble and fall. Laughing at the surprised look in his eyes before she rolled on top of him and placed her head onto his chest. There was no heartbeat, no indication that he was alive except for the hand that moved up and down her back. “I’ve missed you, Shisui.” 

She knew who he was. What he was. And she did not repel away. When he first told her that he was basically the undead, a spiritual guide, she laughed in his face and told him to stop messing with her. But after seeing his abilities, after noticing the hollow look in his eyes after a long day at work, she knew that what he was saying was the truth. She had asked him why him? Was he born this way? And when he explained his clan’s history, she was angry. Angry at them for trying to cheat death. For cursing their children and their children’s children to a damned life of immortality. She had cried for him. She had patted his head and told him that it must be so hard. And it was the first time he openly cried in front of a mortal in so long. How he quickly let his head fall onto her shoulder and cry like he was a child. He felt human for the first time in such a long time that it was overwhelming. 

“I’ve missed you too, Sakura.” He whispered into her hair, kissing the top of it. He wanted to hold her in his arms forever. SIlence. It was a comfortable silence as he held her, laying down in the meadow flowers under inside this church. How he felt her breathing against him. “Sakura? What’s on your mind? I never thought you could be so quiet.”

Lifting her head, she scowled and shook her head before putting her head back down. “I’m just enjoying this. I’m enjoying my time with you. I don’t get it often and I’ve missed you so I’m trying to memorize every part of it. The way you smell. The way you feel. The sound of your voice. I’m trying to commit it to memory.” 

A pause. Did she know what she was doing to him when she said such sweet words. How easily his spirit is lifted when he was with her. Did she know how precious every second with her was for him? For time was so short to an immortal. How each moment with her felt like it was not enough. How he dreaded leaving her. Counting each breath she took, wondering what life would be like without it. What his life would be like without her smile,, without her sweet voice...He would live forever with just a handful of memories that he can keep close to his heart. 

“Do you remember how we first met?” 

Snapping his attention back to the pink haired woman, he chuckled low. “Hmn? THe first time we met?” A small smile appeared on his lips before he looked down to be greeted by the bright green eyes of his beloved. “Like it was yesterday. You were giving out free medicine to the poor. You even saved someone from the edge of death. Their name literally disappeared from my envelope because of you.” 

“You called me a pain in the ass” She teased before poking his nose. 

“Do you realize the amount of paperwork I had to do because of you? It wasn’t even a one time incident. You did that so many times I swear…my desk still has paperwork for me to fill because of you.” 

“I’m sorry my meddling caused you to work a tiny bit harder.” The playful and mocking tone. The way she laughed against his chest. She made him feel alive in a way that he would never fully be able to grasp. “I don’t think you were actually that upset though?” 

“Paperwork, Sakura…” The way the immortal whined like a child brought a smile onto her lips. “Do you realize how boring that is?” 

“But you didn’t have to see anyone pass through without a second chance at life. You told me that was the hardest part, when a life that could saved was cut short.” 

“So are you saying you did it for me?” He frowned before he sat up from the ground and moved her so she settled on his lap. “So, I wouldn’t have to...” 

A flick to his forehead, a gasp from his lips as she smiled at him all cheeky. “Don’t be stupid. I didn’t do it for you. I did it for them. Hell, I even did it for myself. Maybe if I kept bothering you...if I kept messing up your work life...then you’d have more time for me...It was a selfish way to steal your time away from your work.” 

She wanted more time with him. Just like he did. She saved lives so that the time he’d spend guiding them would be given to her instead.How was he so lucky to say that she was his. How lucky was he to have fallen in love with such a wonderful and fantastic woman. “I can’t believe I met a woman like you.” 

“You married a woman like me.” She said with a cheeky grin as she raised their interlaced hands, a ring on both of their fingers. “It’s not my fault that you seem to enjoy my company.” They had broken so many rules in order to be together, when he vowed to be with her in such a sacred ceremony. He was sure that the ground would tear open and swallow him whole, but instead it let him take her hand. “Don’t tell me you have regrets.” 

“With what? Marrying you? Falling terribly in love with you? How could I? It gave me purpose. You were the most fun and interesting thing in my life. The amount of paperwork you gave me is nothing to the countless memories you blessed me with.” 

“You big sap. Who knew that the moon was so corny.” 

“Well you did my sun.” He teased and kissed the tip of her nose. “You love this part of me, admit it.” 

“When I first met you..I thought you were this cool and serious reaper...but in reality you’re just...” She stopped and tilted her head to the side before pressing her lips to his, a soft and sweet smile on her lips. “My moon.” 

He looked at the soft gaze in her eyes, the sweet smile on her lips. “You know that’s now how we first met?” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“I first met you when I was taking your parents to the other side.” 

Her eyebrows furrowed and a small frown appeared on those pink lips. Her parents had died when she was sixteen. Taken by a war that meant nothing more than to line the pockets of the rich. They had died for coin. “…You took them?” 

“They asked me if they can see you one last time. And you were there, holding their pictures, all by yourself. You were just a kid yet you kept trying your best to be strong. Kept trying to put on that stupid brave face when all you wanted to do was cry. I thought you were a fool.” 

“How unromantic. How uncool...I really didn’t want your first impression of me to be when I was grieving my parents...” She said with a shove to his chest, but kept her eyes down. Tilting her head up with his fingers under her chin. He gave her a sad smile. 

“They loved you. They loved you and asked me to watch over you. I told them that’s not what I did. I’m not a guardian angel. But they just asked for it anyways. I guess that’s why I stuck around….and then you met me after you became a pain in the ass.” 

“…Again not that romantic. “She muttered as she played with the edges of his shirt. “You make it seem like…” 

“What you don’t know is that…I kept watch over you. I’m not a guardian angel or anything. I just..I wanted to see the brave girl stay strong. I wanted to make sure that…you would be able to live through the pain of losing your parents. My first impression of you was not pitiful. ” 

“So, what was it? If not pitying a girl that just lost her parents. If not a girl that became an orphan and wondering how to go about life in this cruel world.” 

“I saw the sun. I saw a bright star burning with so much desire to live. I saw a girl that despite the grief, despite the darkness that could have...should have swallowed you whole...You fought. You chose to keep fighting...to keep living. You didn’t let your heartache steal time from you...You exceeded my expectations and more. You became one of the greatest pharmacists. You became someone that healed and saved lives even from the edge of death. You could have gotten a better job but you chose to work in the slums. You chose to…save those that deserved saving. You’re practically a saint.” 

The softness in his tone as he moved to kiss her lips. The way his eyes crinkled into a smile as he looked at her. The saddest smile on his lips as he looked at her. “I am proud to say that you are the woman that I love. That I treasure. To be the one that I will always remember for the rest of my life.” 

“Shisui….” She whispered before she wrapped her arms around his neck, tears running down her face as she felt him tremble. He held her close, letting himself breathe in the soft smell that surrounded her. “Shisui....Stop....” 

“What...What are you talking about?” 

Pulling away, she put a hand on his cheek, a sad smile on her lips before she pressed it against his.“Stop....the genjutsu.” 

His veins ran cold. She saw through it. He made sure to put it up hours before he came here.He felt his chest clench as she looked at him and the tears that he was holding back falling from his red eyes. Of course she knew. She was too clever. She was too bright. She would see through his illusion to try to keep her with him for a moment longer. It wasn’t even for her, it was for him. A hope....a wish....an idiotic desire to think that if he kept her safe in this world that he created...that he would not have to leave or reveal the truth.

“No.” he said stubbornly before he wrapped his arms around her tightly and embraced her. Hiding his face into her shoulder and shaking his head. His entire body shaking as he held her. “No....No...it’s not....” 

“I’m dying...aren’t I?” Her voice trembled, whether it be through fear or from the affects of her taking her last breath. “And all of this...all of this isn’t real.” Her voice sounded so distant, so broken. And he held her tighter, as if that would keep her with him. “I’m scared.” 

“Don’t be....I won’t let you see....I won’t let you....I don’t want to let you go.” He begged for a bit more time. He wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready to let her go. He wasn’t ready to lose her. He wasn’t ready to see his sun die in front of him. He wasn’t ready to be encompassed by darkness. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye. 

“My moon......Even you can’t stop this...You can’t....”She pulled away from him and cupped his face, the tears in her eyes falling as she willed herself to smile. “It will be cruel of me to let you just...You need to let me go. You need to let me...” 

“I can’t...I can’t lose you...I don’t think I’m strong enough.” 

“You’re one of the strongest people I know. You’re an immortal....You’ll...You’ll forget...” 

“No I wont’!” He snapped as he held her tighter, his eyes widening with panic and fear. Desperation in the way he pulled her closer as if that would protect her from the world. As if that would protect her from the inevitable. As if that would put more beats to her heart, as if that would give her a few more seconds. “I will have to live without you...and I can’t do that..I don’t want to do that. I’ve tried everything possible....but I can’t even save you..I can’t...I’m not strong enough to live without you..and I can’t even follow you. I can’t even die after you...I can’t...I just have to keep....I have to...” 

“You have to live...and I’m so sorry for that.” 

“Why are you apologizing!”He didn’t want to waste time in hearing her apologize for things she couldn’t control. He didn’t want to waste precious seconds with her to....He just wanted her to stay with him. He just wanted her to be alive. “I can never forget you. I can never....I was destined to lose you. It was foolish of me to get involved....and yet I couldn’t stop myself. I love you with all my damned soul. I love you and I don’t know how to live knowing that....I love you, Sakura.” 

“I love you too.” Voice cracking as she held onto him tightly. As tears fell down her face, as she could hear her heartbeat echo throughout the church. “You made me happy. You made me mad. You made me sad. You....made my life worth living. You are....”

“Yours...I am yours...so...please...I beg of you....just give me more time. Please....” 

“Shisui......My moon...We both know that...We both know that would be impossible.” 

“Let me...be a fool...Let me...believe in the impossible...Let me....be...” 

“You are a fool. You are the most foolish man in all the world. You are a fool that would destroy the very foundation of the universe if it meant one more day with me. You would sell your soul over and over again....if it meant I got to live.” 

“Yes...please...Please...” 

“But I don’t want you to do that. I don’t want you to be suffering....you know that the universe can be even more cruel than they already are.” 

“Sakura...” 

“You’re suffocating...trying to keep this genjutsu up...you’re suffering...because of me...because you’re trying to extend my time....I know you.....I know you are willing to take in all the pain that I’m feeling right now because of that kind heart of yours....I know you are....But I love you too much....and the sooner you let me go....the sooner I can go and try to find you again...The sooner I can come back to you.” 

“How long will that take?” He had heard that sometimes their most precious would reincarnate. If their spirit was willing to, if they were willing to live again and to search for their immortal partner. How they just had to be patient and wait. To serve death properly and he will reward you with another chance, another few years to chase after that happiness and feel whole again. “How long....” 

“I don’t know...but the longer I’m here...when I’m not supposed to be...the longer it’ll take for me to come back to you.” She pulled away and lifted his face to look at hers. “Shall I tell you a story about how the sun loved the moon so much...” 

“Stop...don’t...” He begged her and cupped her face as his forehead pressed against hers. His red eyes staring into her green ones, both full of grief and fear. 

“I am willing to die....to let you breathe. I am willing to die...so that there is light in your life even without me...The sun must set while the moon must always stay in the sky.” 

“Sakura....” 

“We both know that our ending would come too soon....No matter how much time we got...it would never be enough.” 

“I can’t....” 

“You can....you can...So break it....stop suffering alone....and take my hand....let me...do what I need to do.” 

He felt like he couldn’t breathe as he wrapped his arms around her tightly again, pressing her head into his shoulder. She was right. She was always right. Letting out a scream, the ceiling of the church shattered, the plants that surrounded them aflame and red. Burning away the herbs, the flowers, the life that was there. Burning and taking everything away. The scent of lavender turning into ash and fire. The warmth turning into an unbearable heat that surrounded the two of them. 

His entire world being burnt away into the devastation that he was greeted with. Flames that burned everything, leaving nothing alive, leaving only destruction. The woman in his arms covered in soot and coughing in his arms. Trying to catch her next breath but only inhaling more of the toxic flames. Someone had locked the door to the church and set it on fire. He would never understand the cruelty of humanity. How those in power were threatened by a simple medic trying to save a few more lives in the slums.

But then again...she was never just a simple medic. She was a light, a spark, the picture of the rebellion against the society that took away her parents. She was a fighter. She was a savior. She was a symbol and they needed that symbol to burn. They needed the woman that defied them to know who was still in power. They wanted her gone, so they took it in their own hands.

“So this is how....” 

“I can put it back up... you can...you can just sleep in my arms and it’ll be over...” 

“Shisui....I can’t ask you for that.” 

“Just ask me! I beg of you...Don’t suffer and let me just take the pain.” 

“Wouldn’t that be a bunch of paperwork?” 

“It’s not a time to joke! Let me take care of you! Let me.....do something for you...” 

“You’re here...You’re here and holding me...”She coughed and she let out a shallow and weak laugh. “To die in the arms of my love...to die in the arms of my moon...I can’t think of a more wonderful way to go...to know that I can say goodbye...To know that..” 

“Please....stop.....Please...” 

“I love you....I love you so much....and I believe I will find you again. That this isn’t the end of our story...I will find you..and we shall begin another chapter of our love story...I just..” 

“Sakura.....Please...” The body in his arms growing weak, he looked at her eyes that were becoming more and more lifeless. She was fighting to stay a bit longer. Just a bit more for him. To say a few more words. To give him a few more memories. “Please....”

“One last smile?” A pitiful joke as she leaned in to kiss his lips, a final goodbye as she felt her lungs fill with smoke, as she felt the pain of death take her. “Just wait....just wait for a little bit. I promise...the winter will not be so long.” And with a final and weak smile to her beloved, her eyes closed and her body went limp in his arms. 

It terrified him how quickly her body became cold. How despite the fires that licked at him, that wanted to take him but couldn’t...how hot it should have felt...Everything was just so cold. The body in his arms that no longer had the soul that glowed so bright. His sun....gone...and the world was so cold. The body vanishing in his arms as he was taken back and away from the world of the living. His hand outreaches, screaming to try to get back to her. To not leave her side. He wanted to burn with her. He wanted to be with her. 

His outstretched hand grabbing hold of the final envelope of the evening. His feet now back in the land of the dead. He stared at the empty space before him. Just moments before he was in a burning church, desperate to keep her with him and now he was alone. Alone and empty. Everything felt so cold. The envelope that he was given next to him was sealed and closed. Tied with a red string. A soul taken, a soul free from their mortal chains. **Uchiha Sakura, death by smoke and fire.**

Taking hold of the envelope, he felt the warmth of her spirit in it. Clenching it tightly he brought it to his chest and sobbed. He could feel her ring tied to the end of the red envelope, her most precious item being the ring he got her. Being a part of him...she still held onto him even in death. His sun didn’t deserve to set like this. _Just wait._ He could hear her echo as he slipped the ring onto his pinky finger, still warm from when she wore it. He stared at it, right next to his matching one and felt dry sobs leave as he collapsed to his knees. Holding onto it tightly with his other hand. “Find me....please....Find me...” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah that one was so hard to finish. I legit deleted what I had planned and re did the winter chapter. I'm not 100% in love with it. But I do like the mythos of an immortal loving a mortal concept. Like the tragedy of it all. Thank you so much for suffering through three angsty chapter! I promise spring will be good and I have good things planned :) 
> 
> Winter: Immortal/Mortal Universe
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. HARU | SPRING

_It was a beautiful day._ He thought quietly as he stared at the pink flowers blooming in the trees. The blue skies above them, not a single cloud in sight as the light breeze played with his hair, the soft sunlight warming his skin. it would be a great day to go for a run or maybe even just to rest under one of those blooming trees and finish the book that Itachi had lent him. It was a book about the curse of immortality and it was getting quite interesting. 

“Shisui-Senpai?” A feminine voice brought him back to reality as he looked down to see the blonde haired girl that held out an envelope, his name beautifully written on top of it. “Will you...accept this?” 

She was the fifth one of the day. Maybe it was the warm weather after such a cold winter. Maybe it was the beautiful scenery of soft pink hues and cool greens. _‘Was Valentines’ day around the corner?’_ He usually expected these sort of events to happen then or maybe love was just in the air. A cute thought, one that brought a lazy smile to his lips before he peaked down. 

“Ahh...Akari-Chan, was it?” Her excited eyes, the sparkle in them, he wished she didn’t have them. It would make this so much easier if she simply did not have that look in her eyes. “I’m sorry. But I can’t accept your feelings.” His tone was cool, calm, collected, and even as her eyes began tearing up as he rejected her, he was unfazed. “I’m sure there is a lucky guy out there that will be happy to accept your affections but I’m not him.” 

“Is it because you have a girlfriend already? I thought you and Mia-Senpai broke up.” 

“Yeah she and I broke up. I’m just not sure what gave off the impression that was I looking for a girlfriend?” 

“But...But...you...you are so kind to me, senpai.” 

“I’m always kind.” 

“But...you saw me. You even helped me with those boys who kept bothering me…” 

“I was just doing what I had to do…You’re very…cute, Akari-Chan. But I’m not really into cute girls.” 

“So...are you into sexy girls? More mature girls?” 

“Ahhh..that’s not it either...” How did he explain that he didn’t quite have a specific type? But at the asme time, he knew exactly the kind of woman he wanted. An intelligent and brilliant girl that would always call him out when he needed to be. A girl that he could grow with, someone that would make his heart skip a beat. And he has yet to meet a girl like that. He has yet to meet someone that he missed so much. He thought about this imaginary girl so many times, dreamt of her, that it almost felt like a memory. His mother said it was probably someone he knew in his past life, someone that he truly loved deeply, truly, completely. 

“I can change how I dress! I can do it Senpai! Just given me a chance! I can be your ideal girl!” 

Laughing bitterly, he shook his head before groaning and trying to figure out the best way to get out of the situation. Rubbing the back of his neck before he felt someone’s arm around his shoulder and sighed in relief at the sight of his cousin. Maybe the Uchiha genius will figure out a solution to this mess. Thank god for his cousin. His perfect time, his sharp intellect will help him get out of this mess. “Shisui likes girls that can beat him up.” Itachi spoke in a bored voice.

Shisui took it back. He was going to kill Itachi. That piece of shit, how dare he?! He really didn’t need that sort of rumor going around the school campus. He really didn’t need girls to start beating him up during their confessions just to get his attention. He really really didn’t need that right now. He was stressed enough as it was. 

“Eh?”The girl looked both confused and weirded out enough that he wondered if this plan will go through. “Is he a masochist?” 

“I’m not a maso...Look I just...I really don’t think we’d be compatible. That’s all. I just think...You’d be happier if you...dated Sasuke-Kun. Yeah! He is less good looking than me, but you know he’s your age. He’s definitely a lot...well yeah sorry Akari-Chan.” 

“Oh...Okay...” She looked like she was still going to cry as she lowered the envelope and shoved it back into her bag before running off. And once away, he glared and shoved Itachi off. 

“Really?! Girls that can beat me up? You couldn’t come up with anything else?”

“I would be lying.” 

“Since when have I ever dated girls that beat me up!?” 

“Not physically. But you like girls that challenge you. That make you...I don’t know...You would have to be with a girl longer than three months.” 

“Shut up Itachi. Aren’t we supposed to see Sasuke at his kendo match? The little shit is gonna win anyways but we should be there to support...OW!” The book in Itachi’s hands smacked against the back of his head. 

“Don’t call my little brother a little shit.” 

“He is a little shit!” 

“Well he’s still my little brother.” 

“He’s a year younger than us! He can handle himself.” 

“He’s still my little brother.” 

“Do you know you have a brother syndrome?” 

“Shut up.”

“Have you seen the new first year? The one that transferred today?” Hayate said with a small smile as leaned back in his chair and looked at Shisui who was looking through his phone, liking pictures and watching the stories on SCROLL. 

“Was she the one who technically tested into as a second year?” Itachi asked as he stopped writing in his notebook and reached out to eat the remaining onigiri that sat between him and Shisui. 

“I was going to eat that.” He said with a bored voice before smiling at Itachi who sighed and broke the rice ball in half before handing it to Shisui who quickly took it. “Isn’t it a bit late to transfer? It’s the middle of the year…Sort of a weird time to start at a new school. ” 

“What can you expect from someone who is the apprentice of Professor Tsunade?” Nagoto said in a soft voice as he closed his empty lunchbox and began cleaning up. “Heard that she personally recruited her and that she’s already working at the hospital and taking some classes. Tsunade even came to Headmaster Jiraya’s office a week ago and demanded he take in her student in the middle of the school year. Something about how he owed her a favor.” Senju Tsunade, head of the Senju Research Hospital and Medical School, renowned for her intellect and her skills at the hospital. To be her apprentice was an honor onto it’s own. Shisui applied to their pharmaceutical summer course where he could study at the research hospital and university. His curiosity for this mysterious transfer only kept growing. 

“I heard she was really pretty.” Yawning, Konan took the canned coffee that Yahiko handed her with a smile. “Sorry, stayed up last night trying to finish the paper.” 

“Pretty. Smart. Already the talk of the school on her first day…Sounds like Shisui’s ideal girl.” Yahiiko teased as he tapped the top of the bored Uchiha. 

There were loud steps outside as well as even louder voices before the door to their classroom opened up and grabbed the attention of the second years that were enjoying their conversation. At the doorway was a girl with pink hair that framed her face. She didn’t wear the uniform of the academy, her skirt was longer, plaid, it looked like what someone would wear in a more traditional city rather than the modernized Konohagakure. Her green eyes scanned the room before landing on him who had stared at her, frozen. “Is Uchiha Shisui here?” A sigh left her lips as her beautiful green eyes locked onto him. 

All eyes turned to him who was sitting there, still as he stared at the pink haired girl. It felt like time was frozen as their eyes locked. He could hear his heartbeat. He was positive that there had to be a medical reason for this, but he couldn’t think of the reason. His only thought was that the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen had just entered the room.She shined and glowed as if she was the personification of the sun itself. Just lighting up the room with sunlight and warmth. 

Maybe there was something in the air that caused people to confess their love lately, maybe the spring season was getting to his head. Because he swore that when she walked into the room, walked towards his desk, he saw flowers bloom behind her, sparkles shining around her, like a spotlight was placed on her and all he could see was her. 

What the hell was happening?! Was he having a stroke? Why the hell was his heart beating so fast? This was a girl he did not know? And sure she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, how her pink hair looked so soft that he wanted to touch it. How her green eyes seemed to sparkle like gems. But he was Uchiha Shisui, he was the one that caused this sort of effect on people not the other way around.

“I _finally_ found you.” Her voice lifted, soft and bright. And all of a sudden the world bloomed and colors were brighter, more saturated, more beautiful. He felt his heart beat quickly, he felt his next breath catch at the back of his throat as she stood in front of him, a small smile on her lips. “Uchiha Shisui.” 

He blinked a few times as he tried to process what was happening. But then his eyes lowered to see an envelope in her hand. “Uhmn…I don’t…I don’t even know your name and you’re already giving me a confession? I mean it’s quite bold…but I don’t even know who you are.”She was a pretty girl but he didn’t know her. Hell, he was sure he was having a stroke because all he can think about is how much he wanted to touch her, to kiss those soft lips, and he had just met her. 

Now it was her turn to be confused. Her head tilted to the side, a raised brow before she laughed. He wasn’t quite sure if it was at him or if it was to alleviate the awkwardness that had just spread throughout the room. “My goodness, aren’t you cocky? I almost want to rip this up but then I’ll get in trouble.” Putting the envelope down on his desk, he could see a shift in her gaze. She was not happy. “This is not a love confession from me. My Shishou, Tsuande-sama asked me to give this to you. She said that you are to report to work under Shizune-Senpai starting next month for the pharmaceutical program.She told me to tell you to congratulate you for being accepted on early admission to the program and that she expects great things from you.” Her smile now was a bit more forced and Shisui was positive that he ruined the moment with his assumption. “Then…I’ll take my leave, Shisui-Senpai.” 

Turning on her heel, she looked at the upperclassman that looked at her and then outside where a crowd formed before sighing. “My name is Haruno Sakura by the way. And today I held back, but if you make any assumptions about me ever again. Well, I also inherited my Shishou’s temper, so I guess this is your final and only warning.” Walking out, he saw the small crowd surround the pink haired girl and follow her down the hallway. 

“Damn…”Yahiko said a bit shocked at what had happened and looked at Shisui who looked dumbly at the envelope before looking back up at the door where Sakurahad just left. “I think…Shisui just…messed up.” 

“Did she just make Shisui….speechless? I’ve never heard silence like this before.” Yugao whispered as she leaned in and poked the still Shisui. “I think she killed him with words.” 

“I think he just found his ideal type.” Itachi said with a smirk at the almost starstruck look in his cousin’s eyes. “And I think…he’s doomed.” 

And doomed he was. His thoughts were now preoccupied by a Haruno Sakura. Her pink hair. The way she smiled. The way her voice sounded and stayed deep in his ear. He heard everything especially from Itachi’s little brother, Sasuke who was in her same class. Apparently she was top of her class and that had been become an annoying part of Sasuke’s life who now devoted his hours to trying to beat her scores. She was not only in all of the advanced classes, but she was also given an hour out of class to work on the studies that Professor Tsuande had give her.

She also had garnered a little fan club of her own. If he thought springtime was the season of love and confessions for himself, it also applied to the pink haired transfer student. From Rock Lee to Uzumaki Naruto, it seemed as though there was a line of boys that wanted the attention and affections of the new girl. She also became quite close to some of the girls of her year especially with Yamanaka Ino. If what he heard about the blonde was true, it meant that Sakura could also go toe-to-toe with Yamanaka’s mind games. 

And that only made her more interesting, more fascinating, more beautiful. And he had ruin his first impression with such a stupid comment. He slapped the top of his mouth annoyed as he headed towards the track field. As captain of the Track and Field team, it was best to get some extra training in the morning. While he was always naturally fast, it didn’t mean he didn’t want to continue his training.But there was someone already there. 

Specifically the girl that has been occupying his mind for the last week and a half. Distracting him from his studies, making an appearance in his dreams. A dangerous girl whose hair was pulled up in a ponytail as she ran around the track. The way the morning sun hit her skin gave her a glow that made her look ethereal. 

Maybe he should turn around, he didn’t need the extra training, but even while he thought this way, his feet began to move. He was already running, trying to catch up to her. He saw the way her pink ponytail swayed to the left, then to the right. And he felt hypnotized. 

Then he saw her fall and roll onto the grassy part in the middle of the track. ** _HIME-SAMA!_** A voice called out in the back of his head. It made him jolt with surprise before he quickened his pace before getting down beside her and looked at her clutching her ankle and wincing as she tried to move it to the side. “What happened?” His voice was full of concern as he gently looked at the injured ankle. He could already see the swelling happen and he felt himself sigh before he put her hand off. 

Her green eyes widened at the sight of him. She had been running to get rid of some of the frustration she was feeling. Frustrations that also included him. The boy that made her first day in a new school, an annoyingly noisy one. The boy whose dark eyes and dark hair drew her in. He had the similar features as a boy in her class, and yet when she looked at him that moment in the doorway, it was like she let out a breath that she had been holding onto for a long time.

“I can handle it myself. It’s just a sprain.” She said cooly but still let her hand be taken off and watched the way he gently touched her foot, and moved it slowly from side to side. Hissing sharply through her teeth, she looked away from him. She was not going to comment where he came from, she was not going to note the fact that his serious expression was handsome. He was still the jerk that assumed that she’d be foolish enough to give him a love confession on her first day of class. The amount of questions that the girls in her class had, asking if she knew him. Asking if it was really a love confession and if that was why she used her lunch time to go looking for him was quite annoying.

It really was a favor for her master. And yet when she saw his name, she couldn’t help but feel an urgency to see him, to meet him, to find him. She didn’t know how to explain it. But when she saw his name on the envelope, she felt herself tracing it when she was alone. She could feel it burning a hole in her backpack, as if telling her to find him. To not waste any more time and to find this Uchiha Shisui. 

It was really a pain when she asked her classmates if they knew him. The squeals that seemed to ring in her ear as they grabbed her hand. They began asking a hundred questions that she did not have an answer to. Such as, if she had met him before she came to this school? If she knew how handsome he was, How smart he was, how kind he was. It seemed as though everyone seemed to see this boy as a prince in this school. It also seemed as though almost all the Uchiha boys in this school had a fan club or two devoted to praising them. She noticed Sasuke who looked at her with a strange expression before he looked away quickly and rubbed the tip of his nose before continuing his conversation with Shikamaru. 

She didn’t expect the stories of how Shisui-senpai helped them at the library. How beautiful he looked when he laughed. How talented he was and how he was chosen as Captain despite just being a second year. How smart he was, so clever, and only matched by his cousin Itachi’s intellect who was in the same class as he was. The amount of praises that they showered the boy whom she only knew the name of made her even more curious to meet him. 

And the stories about how handsome he was, well they did not do him justice. He had eyes that were dark and mysterious, yet they shined when he found something interesting. His dark hair was curlier and more wild than those of his cousins’. Yet it never really looked messy, and suited him perfectly. He was tall, had nice broad shoulders, and he had this charming thing about him that reminded her of the night. Something dangerously attractive, and something she felt like she shouldn’t be drawn to, and yet here she was, silently watching him look at her ankle. 

“Ow!” She yelped as he turned her ankle a bit too far. 

“It’s not a bad sprain. I think if you just ice it and bind it soon, it shouldn’t be too bad.”

“I could have told you that.”  


“Are you a doctor?” 

“No…Not yet…” 

“Are you the Captain of the Track and Field Team?” 

“No…”  


“Then don’t give me sass and get on my back. “He said as he turned around and squatted in front of her so that she could get on. “Come on, I’m going to dress your sprain. The clubhouse for the team is not that far and I’d rather you not walk around and hurt yourself more.” 

“…Why are you doing this?”

There was a pause. he didn’t know how to answer that question. Why did he take so much concern over a girl that he barely knew? Why did he worry so much over her? Why did it hurt him to hear her wince and yelp out in pain? Why did he hate that she didn’t trust him. “Consider this my apology for how we first met. And a thank you for delivering the letter. Now come on, It’s best to listen to your senpai in times like this.” 

Putting her arms over his shoulder, he quickly gripped her thighs careful not to get to handsy as he helped her on his back and began walking to the Track and Field clubhouse. He was gentle in the way he walked so that it wouldn’t disturb her injured foot. “Thank you…Shisui-Senpai…” A small pout appearing on her lips as she leaned into him. 

He gave her a gentle smile that made her heart skip a beat. “You’re welcome, Haruno.” She felt her cheeks heat up at the sweet tone and turned away stubbornly, avoiding his gaze in a childish manner that earned her a chuckle. **_It looks like the Little Lady is still cute when she’s being stubborn._** A thought passed through his mind, he stopped suddenly at the thought, looking around before his eyes were greeted with a confused expression from her. “Sorry, I just…I just remembered something.” A vague excuse that also did not feel completely like a lie either. What was that he just heard in his head?

Thankfully for both of them that incident had allowed them to move past their bad first encounter. Which only made his thoughts to wander to her even more so. Especially when she thanked him with that cute pout after he treated her ankle. Breathing heavily as he ran up the steps of the building. There were a few girls that had been very adamant in pursing him and somehow, they were not chasing after him, asking for him to take them on a date. He really didn’t want to deal with this. He only had a few days until he started the program at the hospital and he really needed to study and make sure he didn’t make a fool of himself. This was an opportunity to get a recommendation letter and be on the fast track to the prestigious medical school that was tied with the hospital. 

Getting to the roof, he breathed heavily as he closed the door behind him and ran a hand through down his face. He and Itachi had split over lunch, avoiding both of their respective fan clubs and he really just needed to spend his time studying at this point. “Finally…Alone..”

“Get your own hiding place.” A voice spoke out just as he was about to lower his backpack and take out his notes and lunch. Head turning sharply, he saw Sakura sitting on the bench on top of the rooftop, a paper on her lap, a pencil holding up her hair in a messy bun, and a sandwich in her hand. “I came here first.” 

“Who are you hiding from?”He said a bit confused at the situation before heading over to the only seating area on the rooftop. “And I knew about this place long before you did. This was my hiding place before you came here.” 

“Well it’s mine now.” 

“Since when?” 

“Since I’ve had an annoying amount of students asking me about either why I transferred, if I was the secret daughter of Professor Tsuande, how I even got the position that I have at the hospital, and of course, what my relationship with you is. Since you know…apparently i gave you a love letter on my first day of class here.” 

The deadpanned expression brought chills down his spine before he scoffed. “And here I thought you forgave me for that.” He said before settling down and taking out his book and took out his own lunch, a bento with his favorite side dishes including his mother’s tamago and grilled salmon. “Come on, Haruno. This roof is big enough for both of us, I think we can share.”

“Who are you hiding from anyways?” Her eyes going back to her reading as she read through the medical paper that her master had assigned her before taking bite of her egg sandwich. 

“My…..admirers…I know that sounds bad but I’m being completely serious!” He said with a whine before he was able to to take a bite of his lunch. “I need to study and so I planned to get here before…Wait why am I explaining this to you?” 

“You seem to like the way your voice sounds.” Her words may be sharp and yet her tone was playful as she looked up through her lashes before waving a hand in the air. “It’s fine. I get it. Just don’t bother me while I study.” 

“You’re the one continuing the conversation.” He sassed with a grin before lifting his hands quickly when she glared at him. “Fine fine! I’ll stop!” He opens up the book he was reading on new anticonvulsant drugs that could be administered to children who suffered from epilepsy.

It was a comfortable silence between them as they ate their lunches and read through their medical journals on the rooftop. Avoiding and hiding from the rest of the world. “What are you reading?” She asked quietly as she turned the page and took the other half of her sandwich. 

“A new study on anticonvulsant drugs. It might go into human trials in Germany. Wait…I can’t bother you while you’re studying and yet you can bother me?” He looked up with a grin before taking a bite of the salmon. 

“Oh…I wonder if that’s the same study that Sasori-senpai was talking about.” Sakura noted before looking over and tilting her head to try to read some of the journal upside down. “And you are the one that indulged my curiosity. You could have ignored me, Shisui-senpai.”

“Can anyone really ignore you, Sakura-Chan?” 

“Probably not. I’m quite memorable.” 

“That you are…Wait..are you reading Professor Tsuande’s new paper?” 

“Technically I’m making notes.” 

“Wait what?! You’re not even…What? Just how smart are you, Haruno?” 

“Quite smart.” She said with a small and confident grin. It looked good on her, the confidence she had of her own abilities. “Some may even call me a genius.” 

“Being a genius is overrated. I should know. I am one.” He said with a wink before he turned the page of his own paper and enjoyed this peaceful time that he could share with the girl that occupied his thoughts day in and day out. “Will I be able to see you at the hospital?” 

“Probably. I’ll probably be working close to you so you can get used to the new environment… _Oh.._ wait that would make me your senpai at the hospital.” There was a playfulness in the way she teased him. He didn’t think he ever had so much fun with someone before like he did with her. From the way she teased him to the peaceful air that surrounded her, like he put his guard down. It was a warmth that he did not realize he was craving. **_The lonely moon shall always yearn for the warmth of the sun._** ****

And rather than be startled by the strange passing thought, he looked at the girl before him that was covered by the sunlight around them, how the light breeze made her hair dance softly. How her green eyes focused and brows narrowed as she quickly wrote something on the paper, her handwriting delicate before she pressed the pen to her lip. Her pretty pink lips that he wanted to have a taste. 

Blinking slowly, he realized he was staring and when she raised her eyes to look at him, he knew he was caught by her. “Sorry. I got lost in my thoughts.” 

“You tend to do that a lot.” 

“Lately my thoughts have been quite distracting.” _And it all started when I first met you._ He thought quietly before coughing and tried to continue his reading. 

“I think that’s everything you have to know…By the way..”Rin quickly put her arms around him, cursing him under her breath for being so tall. “I’m so proud of you! Congrats on joining the medical program and just…when Obito told me that you got in..the proud look in his eyes. He really is so proud of you, Shisui.” 

His cousin Obito was the first one to notice his interesting in the field, in science, and was also the one that convinced him to apply for the program. He expected he’d start like everyone else but to be recruited early, to be able to start his career and his dream. It still didn’t feel real for him. “Thanks Onne-chan. How is living with Obito by the way? Still a nightmare? ” He joked while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“He’s a pain in my ass. Right now he’s working hard with Ambassador Minato so he’s out a lot but when he’s not…He’s asking when we are going to get married.” Rolling her eyes, she couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the man she loved being so open with his affections for her. “Oh..It’s Sakura-chan.” 

Turning around to where Rin was pointing to, he saw her walking with Professor Tsunade, a pile of books in her arms. She was nodding and listening, but he could also see the strain on her arms as she tried to adjust the books that seemed to keep being piled on by the head of the hospital. Rushing to her side, he took majority of the books from her arms and smiled at the confused girl. “Hello Haruno.” He saw her blink a few times before blushing and lookin away from him. Was his tone a bit flirty? 

“Hmn? Oh..You must be Shisui.” 

“Yes, Professor.” He said snapping his attention to the older blonde woman. “Uchiha Shisui at your service.” 

“Well…if you work as well as you write, I see no problem. Sakura, I’m sure you read Shisui’s admission paper. I think you said it was one of the best ones you’ve read since you started working with me.” 

“Yes, Shishou. It was very well researched.” 

“Hmn. Maybe he should help you with your workload. It’ll be good to have more eyes on the paper. Make sure you give him a copy of my paper.” 

“Of course, Shishou.” 

“Oh…About the Patient in Room 701” 

“The blood in his urine has stopped, and he has been able to consume solid foods since yesterday.” 

“Good. That means the treatment is working.” 

Shisui watched in awe at how Sakura spoke to the older woman. How she was able to speak about a patient, aware of the symptoms and procedures as well as a med student. He knew she was smart but he seeing her working was another side of her that was absolutely stunning. 

“Oh… Why don’t you show Shisui to the intern room where you’ll both be working. I’m sure he needs a break. Shisui, you should also get started on reading some of these. While you may be working more with the pharmaceutical department, you should still learn the basics. Oh Rin. Follow me. I think you can help me with one of the patient histories.” 

“Yes, Shishou.” 

“Yes, Professor.” 

As soon as the blonde left, he saw Rin wave goodbye before turning around and talk to the professor with an sparkle in her eyes. 

“Shisui-senpai.” 

“Yes, Haruno?” 

“Let’s hurry up. I can use a break. I’ve been up since four. I swear sometimes my Shishou is trying to kill me with her weird hours. ” 

“Lead the way.” 

He closed his eyes as he sat on the bench in the courtyard of the hospital. Surrounded by cherry blossom trees that were finally blooming, he felt at peace as he took a break. It was a rush, he was able to shadow not only people working in the research department, but also those that were going into surgery. His superior, Shizune-san was brilliant and learning from her was an honor. Most of his work consisted of paperwork, looking through papers for any spelling error to finding research that would help the professors working at the hospital and university. He was learning so much more than he expected but he was also terribly tired. He didn’t know how Sakura did it. How she was able to do this and more. His job was hardly as difficult as following and assisting Tsuande, and she was still able to be top of her class. 

He opened his eyes and saw the blue skies that peaked through the branches of the canopy of pink trees.The sunlight that shined between the petals made him smile and reminded him of a certain girl that kept staying in his mind. “Haruno Sakura . I can’t seem to get you out of my head. My once quiet head is acting up in ways that I can’t control…And I know it’s all because of you.” Dozing off, he closed his eyes. 

***

_“Shisui, my boy. This is the Princess, Sakura. You will be her bodyguard when you get older.” His father said with a small smile. The dark haired boy looked to face the small girl in the emperor’s arms. The youngest princess, her green eyes peaking out from behind the curtain of pink hair. She gave a timid wave at the boy that must have been a few years older than her. They were at a Cherry Blossom Viewing and at the picnic, the head of the guards brought his son with him to introduce to the Princess._

_“Greetings Sakura-Hime. My name is Uchiha Shisui. It is an honor to serve you.” he said seriously, like a knight to be, like the future bodyguard of the imperial family. She was a pretty princess but she also looked weak. Like someone that would break easily. He worried for her._

_She looked at him for a moment before she squealed and buried her face into her father’s shoulder. “Are you acting shy, my wildflower?” Her father said with a softness and a gentleness as he patted the top of her head. “You should greet him. You will be seeing him more often now, my wildflower.”_

_Turning her head to look at the black haired boy again, before giving a timid wave and smiling weakly at him. “Hello.” She said sweetly and he felt himself smile in response and gave her a nod. “It’s nice to meet you.” She let out a sneeze and startled, Shisui took out his handkerchief and handed it to the young princess._

_“It looks like he’s already started his job on taking care of the princess.” The emperor said with a laugh as he watched his young daughter take the cloth from the boy._

_“Please be careful, princess. The spring flowers tend to release more pollen than usual.” He said with a softness as he watched the way she pressed the handkerchief to her face._

_“Thank you, Shisui-san.”_

***

Now he was dreaming of her? He thought as he snapped awake quickly and ran a hand down his face and shook his head. What was that? He didn’t know what was going on with his mind lately. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Maybe he should ask Sakura how she scheduled everything and was able to do everything so perfectly. 

Getting up, he took the empty can of coffee and put into the recycling can and began walking through the courtyard gardens. He let his eyes wander up to the skies and enjoy the pink trees that softly moved against the breeze. Haruno Sakura who had hair that looked like the flowers that bloom and fell from these trees. How was it that she so easily became something his wandering mind went to. This had never happened before. It made him dizzy like he couldn’t snap out of it. And yet a part of him wondered if he ever wanted to snap out of it. 

He quite enjoyed this feeling of warmth that spread throughout his chest as he thought of her. 

***

_It was her birthday. Of course, her birthday would be a day when the pink trees were in full bloom. As if the world just wanted to scream at how special this pink haired girl was, and they weren’t wrong. He had another mission lined up after the one he had just come back from, he considered him lucky that he even got to the village on this special day. He saw his cousin’s knowing and almost amused look as he rushed into his bedroom and grabbed the gift he prepared for the Little Lady. When he turned to Itachi who had told him the time and how he should just give it to her in the morning, he scoffed and quickly flickered away. He could tell he was going to get an earful and he almost wanted to take it back. Almost._

_He jumped over the rooftops before landing quietly on top of her house. He wasn’t too late, he thought quietly as he saw the light from her window shining. He saw that she was reading on top of her bed, absorbing all the information that she could before the night was up. She looked so cute with her cheeks puffed out as she tried to understand a concept that was probably to advanced for her._

_Tapping the glass window, how brightly her eyes looked when she saw him. She rushed to the window to open it and smile up at him. “Shisui-kun!” She squealed with a laugh before letting the older ninja into her room. The little lady couldn’t believe her eyes, she didn’t expect to see him today. He had told her that she had a mission and to be honest, it was upsetting that she couldn’t see him on her birthday. But here he was in front of her with a soft smile on his lips._

_“Couldn’t very well not wish the Little Lady a happy birthday.” He said with a smile before he patted the top of her head and sat down on the floor as he held the gift he had for her behind his back._

_“I thought you weren’t going to be able to make it.” She whispered quietly._

_“Well I made it with a few hours to spare…Also why are you still up? You know that staying up this late is going to stunt your growth, right? Or do you want to be my Little Lady forever?” He teased as he tapped the center of her forehead._

_“..I wouldn’t mind being your little lady forever.” She whispered quietly, a light pink blush appearing on her cheeks._

_He paused before a smile creeped up on his lips. Did she know how dangerously cute she was? She was going to be a heartbreaker when she got older. And to be honest, he didn’t know if he liked that or not. To know that boys that weren’t good enough for he would want her heart. “Nothing will change that, Little Lady.” He whispered before he pulled the package from behind his back. “Happy Birthday, Little Lady.”_

_“You got me a present too?” She said with mirth lighting up her eyes as she took it and quickly took off the wrapping and opening the box. Inside the box was a kunai holder made from black leather, it looked quite big in her hands and she looked up at him with a confused expression. “You got me a bag?”_

_Laughing, he pointed to one that was attached to his thigh. “I thought about getting you a doll but I thought this might be more useful. It’s for when you are bigger. You have no idea how useful something like this is. You never know when someone is behind you holding your hair and…I just want to make sure you’re safe, Little Lady.”_

_“But I’ll have you around, won’t I, Shisui-kun?”_

_“Not always. You never know when you’ll have to fend for yourself and I want to make sure that when the times comes, you have a fighting chance.”_

_She went back to staring down at the strange yet practical gift before looking at the one that he was wearing. A small smile appearing on her lips before she nodded. “It’s another thing we have that’s matching! I like sharing things with you, Shisui-kun.”_

_“I like it too, Little Lady.”_

***

Was he seriously daydreaming in the middle of the day while standing up? What the hell was that? Maybe he should ask if he could get an MRI. These fantasies that he has been having with Sakura as the female lead was really getting out of hand. He was at work. They were at work. She was basically his senpai in the hospital, and these never ending thoughts may cause him to be awkward around her and he really didn’t want that. 

He didn’t want her to hate him. He didn’t want her to feel strange around him. God he wanted her to like him. Wait. What? 

Stopping in the middle of the courtyard, his eyes widening at the realization that he really did want her to like him. Maybe he wanted to court her? Maybe he wanted to pursue her? What the hell? Who used those words? Shaking his head, he let out an annoyed sigh. “I really need to stop hanging out with Itachi…his old man speech is starting to rub off on me… ” Pinching the bridge of his nose he looked up and then saw the girl that had been the subject of his daydreams and wandering thoughts.

She stood under the trees, eyes closed as she soaked up the sunlight. Even the pretty shade of pink that surrounded them with the flowering trees seemed to fade in comparison to her. Her pink hair was just brighter, more pretty than anything he had ever seen. He watched the way she seemed to sway back and forth, eyes still closed. It looked like she was deep in thought and he wondered what it was about. Did she think of him like he thought of her? Did she feel like she was losing her mind over him just like he was over her? 

When she stopped swaying, she seemed to notice him staring at her and as she slowly turned to look at him, her green eyes sparkling because of the sunlight. He felt his breath catch at the back of his throat. This felt familiar, being enchanted by her beauty, being caught unaware of how easily she could take over his every thought. 

***

_“Marry me.” The girl in the white sundress said with a laugh as she pulled him closer and touched the face of the reaper. A soft gaze in her eyes as he stumbled, eyes wide. He may be immortal, far older than she could ever imagine, he had seen everything under the sun and the moon. And yet here he was surprised by her every action, every word, as if he was living life for the first time._

_“What?” He stumbled as she took the hat that covered his head and let it drop down onto the floor of the grass. He had taken them one of the last places where nature grew wild. Where there was a tall pink willow tree that bloomed with beautiful pink flowers. He had grown fond of this place, a place so pure and beautiful, selfishly hiding it from the rest of the world. And yet here he was sharing his most precious place to her._

_But then again, wasn’t she the most precious thing in his life now? Looking down at the laughing girl as she angled her head to the side, the shining and bright smile never leaving her lips. “Marry me, my moon.” She whispered softly as she let the pad of her thumb rub against his cold cheek. They had known each other for a year, and every day their love for one another deepened. She knew that he was the one she was meant to be with. And even if he was an immortal and she a mere mortal, she did not want to waste any more time. He was the one she was destined to be with. “Be my husband, Shisui.”_

_“It’d…it’d be unfair to you..I can’t give you everything that you deserve..I can’t give you…I am a soldier of death and you are a healer. Who in their right mind would allow us to be together?”_

_“I love you. I don’t think I know how else to explain this. The future? The things that you think you can’t give me? I don’t need any of that. I just know that…with what little time I have in comparison to you…Despite who we are…you…and only you…that’s all I want. That’s all my heart wants. I wish for nothing more than that.”_

_“Sakura…” He said with a trembling voice as he touched her warm cheek and pulled her in for a kiss. “My sun…My love…My heart.” He whispered softly against her lips. She felt so warm, she made him feel alive again. She made his heart feel full and he was afraid of how much he loved her. “I would be honored to be your husband.”_

_A breathless gasp as she pulled away from the kiss and looked at him, her green eyes searching his for any doubt but all she saw was love and she felt the tears she held back fall down her cheeks. “You forgot something.”_

_“What?” He asked breathlessly, not caring for anything but the woman in his arms. To see her happy, to see her loved. He wanted nothing more than to have her in his arms forever. He would find a way to break his curse. He would sell his soul over and over again if it meant that he could protect her. If it meant that he could continue to feel this happy. She was all that mattered._

_“Wife. I want to hear you call me wife.”_

_A gentle smile appeared on her husband’s lips as he picked her up from the waist and spun her around. Laughing joyfully, she put her hands on his shoulders as he lowered her slowly and kissed her lips while holding her up. “I love you…my wife.”_

***

“Shisui-senapi?” A voice called out and a hand waved in front of his face. “Are you feeling okay? You don’t look so good.” He was leaning against a tree, holding his head at the recent event that his mind. He winced at the headache that seemed to be lurking at the back of his head. Maybe he was watching one too many shows with his little sister, Izumi. Romantic shows that always were rooted in things like soulmates and…wait that voice. His eyes opening up slowly, he saw the concerned gaze of Haruno Sakura looking at him. “Does your head hurt?” 

He must be having a stroke. He thought as he looked at her a bit dazed from the last dream? Hallucination? Memory of his past life? He didn’t know quite how to define it, all he knew was that his ears felt hot and the girl that was always the heroine in whatever story his brain was crafting was standing in front of him. Looking up at him with an innocent gaze. “Senpai..you should be more careful. You just started, we can’t have you get sick now…Especially when you’re the one helping with my workload.” She said with a laugh and he swore it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

He was really falling for this girl. If this was anything like the romance novels and shows that his little sister was obsessed with, he was completely infatuated with the girl before him. The girl with pink hair who seemed to look even prettier with the background of cherry blossom trees that were blooming behind her. The way the wind seemed to lightly lift her hair and her eyes, god her eyes were beautiful.“I’m fine, Haruno…I just..I think I’m a bit dehydrated.” 

A furrowed brow before she nodded. “Well stay hydrated. I know it’s a bit chaotic but you’ll get used to it all soon. I promise.” She said with a smile before she took a step towards him. His eyes widened as she reached out and touched his hair. Her face was so close to his, did she not realize this? Was he really the only one that was going crazy because of all of this? There was something dangerous in the spring air. That was what he decided. 

Gulping as he watched her so close before she pulled away and showed him a pink petal between his fingers. “You had a little stowaway on your hair.” She said quickly as she realized how close she got to him. Taking a step back, she nervously laughed and rubbed the back of her head. “Well…Uhmn..I’ll see you later, Shisui-senpai.” Dashing away, he watched her fading figure head into the hospital. His heart was still pounding against his chest, he could feel every nerve in his body firing off. 

He had already fallen for this girl. It was too late for him. He thought before he let out a laugh and ran a hand through his hair and looked up again at the sky above him. “Haruno Sakura….what are you doing to me?” 

It was getting late and they were both working on organizing some of the seminar notes for the upcoming conference. Yawning, Sakura stretched out her arms and looked up to see Shisui working hard on reading and organizing the notes, he didn’t seem to be affected by the difficult content, rather he looked amused and interested. She had heard that he was quite intelligent and that many other universities were already looking to scout him. He seemed so disinterested in his studies that Sakura wondered if her Shishou had made a mistake in choosing him to help with the increased workload. 

Sakura never was more happy to be wrong. Working with Shisui, learning beside him, was something she had began to be grateful for. They started sharing their lunch hours a few time a week at the academy so that they can work on reading through some of the harder papers while also testing each other on some of the medical jargon that they were assigned. It was amazing to find someone that was on the same wavelength as she was. And he wasn’t an eyesore either.

Okay, maybe that was an understatement. Especially when he was wearing his glasses, a serious expression on his face as he read through and marked up the paper. He was incredibly good looking.

“I know. I look like a work of art.” 

And then his mouth ruined the moment again. Scoffing, she rolled her eyes as she began cleaning up her side of the table. “You know sometimes I have a such a strong urge to punch you in the face.” 

“Then you’d be damaging art.” 

“You’re so annoying.” 

“Annoyingly handsome? Why thank you.” 

“Oh My God….” Looking at the clock, she shook her head and rolled her shoulder back before getting up. “Come on, it’s really late. And I think we both need to sleep.” 

“Holy…How did it get so late? I swear we had our dinner break only an hour ago.” 

“Yeah….I guess it wasn’t…an hour…” They had dinner together from the takeout that Shizune gave them with an apologetic look as they looked over the piles of paperwork that they still had to go through. “Anyways, we should get going. This paperwork…isn’t going anywhere.” 

“To be honest..I think it’s growing. Reproducing. Maybe it’s going through Mitosis.” 

Laughing tiredly at the lame joke she took off the lab coat and hung it in the locker that was placed in the intern room before looking at Shisui who had done the same for his own attire. “Where do you live by the way?” Head turning to look at the man who asked the question, he leaned picked up his bag and swung it over his shoulder. “It’s late. I’m not going to let a girl walk home this late.” 

“I can take care of myself, you know?” 

“I know but I don’t feel comfortable in letting you go home alone. We can ride the train together.”

“There’s no need. I live near the hospital.” 

“Huh? The only things near here are the university housing and some small single apartments for the medical students or staff.” 

“Yeah. I live there.” 

“You live there with your parents?” 

“I live alone.” 

“You live alone!?” He said quite loudly which made her jump and turned to him with a confused expression. “Why the hell are you living alone?” 

“My father is an ambassador so he and my mother travel a lot. I’ve been living alone for quite a while. Before this, I lived with my grandparents till Tsuande-sama gave me this job and the scholarship to the academy.”

“Still! How the hell are you able to do all of this while living alone? Are you secretly a wizard or something? Can you time travel?!”  


“What do you mean?” 

“You have top grades in your class. You’ve been working under Tsuande-sama for I don’t know longer than I have. You are able to maintain somewhat of a social life…I think?” A laugh before she picked up her own bag and opened the door for them. “And you live alone? Isn’t that…tiring? I’m barely holding onto what I’m doing and I still live with my family.” 

“Well…You have to also add the fact that you’re the Captain of the Track and Field Team. And you are Vice President of your class? I think you do quite more than I do.” 

“That doesn’t…really….Don’t try to change the subject. Anyways…I guess this settles it.” 

“What does it settle?” 

“I’m walking you home whenever it gets late. And also that does explain why all your lunches are foods you’d buy at a convenience store.” he said with a frown as he began walking down out of the hospital building. He seemed to get lost in her thoughts, and that gave her time to just think about his words and watch the way his frown deepened. 

Stopping, she watched him turn around in confusion before he too turned around. “Is there something wrong?” He asked and walked towards her as if wondering if he was heading the wrong direction. 

“Are you worried about me, Shisui-senpai?” His eyes widened at herblunt question before he coughed into his hand and turned back around. He bashfully rubbed the back of his neck and clicked his tongue.

“So what if I am.” 

Now it was her turn to be surprised by his words. Green eyes widening, she felt her heart race a bit faster before she shyly looked away and began walking ahead of him. She could hear his feet quickly catch up to walk next to her. She was used to walking this route by herself. There were many nights where she chose to just stay behind and get something from the hospital cafeteria for dinner and study for her classes in the library. But to know that someone was willing to walk her home, it was nice. It was really nice being cared for. 

“Do you mind if I worry about you, Sakura-chan?” She looked at him, her cheeks reddening. This was the first time he called her by her first name. And the way he said it, it sounded so sweet, so kind, so wonderful. It felt like she was aching to hear him call out her name with such a softness. 

“No…I’m just surprised. I mean…We are practically strangers.” 

“I don’t think so.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, he let out a soft sigh as they turned into the streets. “I mean we spent a few lunches out of the week together on our secret rooftop. We work together at the hospital. We study at the same academy. I’d say we are pretty close, don’t you.”

“Maybe…”Why did she suddenly feel so shy? Why did she suddenly feel so happy to know that he cared for her. Why did she like the fact that he didn’t simply consider her a stranger, or an acquaintance? Why did she like that he noticed her and wanted to be around her more? The silence between them was not awkward but had a layer of something comfortable. She felt safe in his presence. She felt like she didn’t have to worry about anything and could just enjoy the warm spring night. 

“But if you feel that way…I suppose I have to change that.” His voice said seriously as they stopped in front of her apartment complex. His dark black eyes looked into her shining green ones before he gave her a soft smile. “If you have time….Would you like to spend your next free day with me?” 

He wasn’t good for her health. To make her heart beat this quickly, she also didn’t want to mention the countless times her thoughts wandered to think about him. To wonder if he was doing well, if he ate, if he was adjusting to the new job. She wondered what he liked to eat, she noticed that he liked traditional bentos more than anything. She also noted that he was ambidextrous, but he preferred his left hand. She didn’t like to admit that she found him incredibly handsome and that she looked for him at the hospital when she thought no one was looking. “Are you asking me out on a date?” She nervously joked, wondering what was going on with her today. 

“Yes. I am.” His response was quick and full of confidence. He looked at her with a serious expression before his lips curved into a small and reassuring smile. “I am asking you on a date, Sakura-chan.” 

When he said her name again, she felt her heart flutter. She didn’t know what it was about him, but she couldn’t deny that she was drawn to him. Like she was always meant to come to this city, to come to this school, to be the one to give him that envelope. It was like fate was drawing them closer and closer together and as even though it sounded silly, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was okay her to hope to have something with him. 

“I….I think I can make time for you.” Bashfully looking away, she quickly punched in the code to enter the building before looking back and watching the smile on his lips grow. Oh he was dangerously handsome, wasn’t he? She thought to herself before shaking her head. “Have a good night,Shisui-senpai…Get home safely.” 

“Goodnight, Sakura-chan.” He stood there as if waiting to see her get inside safely. Smiling at her before she entered the elevator. And once she was safely inside, she put a hand to her chest and let out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding. Did she really just say yes to a date with one of the most popular boys in her school? Did she really just agree to a date with Uchiha Shisui? She felt a foolish and girlish smile appear on her lips as she laughed and shook her head. 

She was never usually that impulsive. She usually took time and more than that denied any boy that would ask her out. She had her career to think about. She barely had time to take care of herself, she didn’t have time to take care of a romantic relationship with someone. And yet when he asked her, it felt right to say yes. No…It felt like it was the only correct answer. How could she say no to him when he looked at her with those gentle eyes and that dazzling smile. The one that she dreamt of with dreams full of happy moments.

She felt safe with him. She felt like she could lean on him. She knew that she could trust him. Even when they just barely met, she knew that he was someone that wouldn’t hurt her. That he was someone that… **DING.**

Looking down at her phone that took her attention away from her phone, she felt her lips curve into a bright smile as she saw who sent the text. How was it possible that even through a few letters on a screen, he could make her feel so good? How was it possible that she felt so happy to just see his name on her phone screen.

_Until next time. Have sweet dreams, Sakura-Chan.— Shisui-Senpai._

That’s right. He was someone she wanted to spend her time with. She was someone that she wanted to share that time with. He was the boy in her strange dreams that always protected her, always made her happy, and always made her feel… _loved._ She wondered if this was just some stupid infatuation and yet she knew deep in her heart that it wasn’t. 

Her fingers darted through the screen and pressed send before she put the phone against her chest and felt herself smile like a fool. 

_See you soon, Shisui-Kun. — Sakura-Chan._

He looked down and saw the return message and let out a happy laugh. He looked at it over and over again and couldn’t stopHe didn’t know what the dreams, the thoughts. the memories he was having meant, all he knew was that it was guiding him towards her. That it was revealing the path that lay before him and it all ended with her at the end. She was the one he was waiting for this entire time. She was the one that he never wanted to let go. She was the one that he would always want to go to.He owed it to his past selves, to his other selves…to himself to take his chance and pursue this girl that never seemed to leave his mind. 

“Finally…we have time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spring: School/Good/Slice of Life Universe
> 
> And it's done! I hope you enjoyed the little references and homages I tossed into this. And yes, I will have them have fragmented memories of each other throughout this. Just cause..I love soulmates finding each other. I was debating on if I wanted to make Shisui a second or third year...but...I really wanted them to have more time with each other in their high school years. (especially since...I always tore them apart.) And...Because....
> 
> I plan on writing a one shot series of Shisui/Sakura's adventures at school. I really want to do all that cheesy romcom things that you'd read in a Slice of Life manga like a school festival oneshot (imagine maid cafe...scene....just the hilarity of it all) , a white day oneshot, one where they are finally official. LOL maybe even a beach episode where Shisui gets protective and very jealous when people keep staring our beautiful flower princess. Also them working together more and studying together and just being a cute couple. So if you are interested in this sort of series where I just write cute fluffy Sakura and Shisui moments (maybe i'll even make a special oneshot for something in their other lives. hehehe) please let me know! Because I really loved writing this and finally giving them a happy moment. 
> 
> By the way, SCROLL, is like the Instagram of this universe..or like Instagram meets facebook meets snapchat..basically all the social media sites in one cause im too lazy...LOL And yes, the bag that Shisui gives her in the Naruto Universe is the same one that Sakura always wears. So, unconsciously he's always there for her, a piece of their time together is part of her uniform. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this. To everyone who has commented, thank you for enjoying my indulgence of one of my favorite crackship and tell me what sort of Shisui/Sakura moments you'd like to see me write. You endured three chapters of angst and pain to get here and I'm so happy to show end this fic on a happy note.


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